


It's Killing Me

by jadesshadow01



Category: Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-06-10 04:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 43,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6939181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadesshadow01/pseuds/jadesshadow01
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Charles mother died, Bran's wolf decided that he needed a mate. That is how he mated with Leah. But what happens when Bran's wolf finds another wolf, a wolf that Mercy finds in the lone of the night? </p><p>I started this on Fanfiction.net. I'm moving it here, and possibly finishing it here. I haven't decided yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Abandoned

**Author's Note:**

> So, I started this on in 2011 and I haven't updated since 2013, so I think I might work on it, but I have to get it transferred over first. So bear with me as I move it from fanfiction.net to archive! I am working on the next chapter.

Chapter One-Abandoned

She ran. That was all she could do in this situation was run. She didn't have the energy to fight off the rest of the wolves following in behind her, and she didn't have any type of modern technology to get herself to a safe place. So she ran.

She began panting heavily as she reached the Oregon state line, pushing herself harder, quicker, stronger. The wolves behind her howled, startling her. She felt her wolf urge to call back, to be set free, but she ignored it, knowing that both her and her inner wolf would be dead if she stayed.

400 Feet... She began to see spots in front of her, panting getting heavier as she ran...300 Feet... The wolves got closer, and she pushed herself harder. She had to get out of California...200 Feet...She began to sway, only to push herself harder. Once she got over that border, she could get to a phone, or another pack, but she had to get away from this one... 100 Feet... almost there... 50...Oh god freedom...25... Have to get to safety... 10... so close.. 5... Oregon, here I come. She jumped over the border, and watched as the other wolves stopped growling at her, as she turned and began to run at a slower pace. Now all she had to do was make it to washington, no problem, right?

MERCY stood in her office, staring at the paperwork in front of her. Gabriel had called in sick for the first time ever, and there was stuff that needed to be done. She didn't want to do it though, and the cars can't get done without some of the paperwork in here. She sighed, picking up one pile of the mess she had created earlier looking for something. Gabriel was going to kill her.

She heard the door open to the garage, and frowned. She had the closed sign up, so no one should be entering. She got up, picking up her 9mm that she now carried with her everywhere, and crept in to the front of the shop, to hear panting, and whimpering. She came around the curve of the door, to see a golden brown wolf, laying on the floor. It's eyes were closed, and it whimpered several times, before panting heavily. It was thin, abnormally thin, but huge. Mercy took a deep breath taking in the scent of an unknown werewolf, a female wolf on that.

"Hey!" She called out, getting the wolf to look at her, as she lowered the gun, and pulled out her cell phone. "Can you change?" The wolf shook her head, as Mercy nodded, cell phone ringing in her ear.

"Miss me already?" The voice of Adam Hauptman said laughingly, as Mercy shook her head.

"I've got a strange wolf in my garage that sorta looks like death, can you get your ass here?" Mercy asked, as she reached over and felt the wolves ribs.

" I'm on my way," He stated, hanging up. She looked down and dialed another number putting the phone up to her ear.

"Mercy," Samuel stated, as Mercy snorted.

"Get your ass down to my shop, now," She stated, hanging up the phone. She looked down at the wolf in question, and noticed that she was still panting. Mercy frowned, as the wolf closed her eyes, and continued to pant. She sat on the stool, and waited, not moving until she heard Sam's car pull up, and the door shut. She met him at the door, as he almost tripped over the wolf in front of them.

"Who is this?" Sam asked, as Mercy motioned at the wolf.

"No idea," Mercy shrugged, as Sam began to look over the wolf. He poked and prodded the wolf, earning him a growl when he hit a particularly bruised area.

"Does Adam know?" Sam asked, as another door shut. Mercy snorted, as Adam entered the building and frowned.

"It's female," He stated, as Mercy rolled her eyes.

"No, It's bigfoot. I just thought you might want to see it before the last one dies out!" She said sarcastically, as Adam glared at her for a moment.

"She's exhausted, she's running on no energy, and she's hungry, though she seems to be handling her hunger pretty well. She wont be able to change back until she eats though." Mercy nodded, pointing to the cooler in the corner. Adam and Sam raised and eyebrow, as Mercy shrugged.

"A joke from Warren, and Kyle. They thought I'd need one from all the wolves I store in here." She went over snatching a couple raw steaks out, and tossed them at the wolf, who sniffed them, and then lightly bit in to them.

"Well, once she changes, we're going to have to send her back to her pack," Adam sighed, as the wolf jumped and began growling fiercly. Adam met her eyes, as she growled, teeth baring all, and eyes focused in on his.

"Stand down," Sam said quietly, though the command could be heard. She growled again, at him, as she began to lay down.

"So, just saying, I dont think her pack is a good idea, until we know why she ran," Mercy stated, tossing another steak that the wolf devoured.

"Rules state-" He stopped as the wolf began to change. Slowly, the watched as she changed, not touching her for the pain that would come from it. When she finished, she sat on the floor, covered in sweat, eyes an icy blue, and panting still.

"Bran, I need Bran," She stated, as she sat there. Her hair was a long, and black, not matching the icy blue eyes she had. She was tan, too light to be Native, but too dark to be white. Several scars littered her stomach, legs, and arms, a pale white compared to the darker tone of her skin.

"I'm Samuel, I'm Bran's son, What happened?" He asked, calmly, reaching for her, only for her to jerk away, and wrap her arms around her legs.

" Southern California Pack, is what. I need Asylum, call Bran." She stated, as Mercy, Sam, and Adam looked at each other, " Look, I'm not trying to kill him. I'm not a spy for someone to kill him. I don't have the energy. I used up the last bit changing, and would have gotten stuck if you hadn't fed me. Now, if you don't call Bran, and try to send me back to that damned pack, then you might as well kill me, because they will." Mercy nodded, as she picked up her cell phone. It rang. Mercy snorted, as she shook her head.

"Damn, Bran," Adam mumbled as Mercy opened the phone.

"Bran-"

"What's her name?" Bran stated calmly, as Mercy snorted and looked at the woman in question.

"Caelie. Caelie Jones, from the Southern California Pack," She stated, knowing that Bran could hear her. Damn wolf ears.

"The Rebel, hm, earned yourself a damned reputation, and more problems than needed. Why should I give you asylum?" She began to cry.

"I have information that they were trying to keep from you. Information that involved both sons, Mercy, and their mates. A way to try to make you step down." Bran went quiet, as they waited on a response.

"Sam will drive you up here tonight. From there I will determine whether or not you are worthy of Asylum." Caelie blinked, tears still lightly falling down her face.

"Sam, get her in the car, I want her here tonight," Bran stated, as Sam began to help her to her feet. Sam and Caelie never heard the rest of the conversation, as they were on there way to her safety, and hopefully her new home.

THEY arrived in Aspen Creek sometime after midnight. It wouldn't have taken as long, if Sam hadn't stopped to get them food so many times, or so she thought. She never realized that Sam could tell she hadn't eaten in a while. Her ribs stuck out, her arm bones could be seen, and her legs were just too thin. She looked like something they show on a holocaust remembrance video, and those were the ones that don't survive. Sam pulled up in front of the house, shutting the car off, and opening the door, even though she had attempted to do it herself.

"I'm a grown woman," She stated, as he helped her out of the car, and up to the door. She put her fist up to knock, only for the door to open, and reveal another woman. A sneer covered her face, as she looked Caelie up and down, ignoring Sam for the moment.

"Bran's sleeping," She snapped out, as Caelie sighed.

"Can you wake him up? He wanted to meet us," Caelie asked softly, as the woman laughed.

"I know what your seeking, and he's not going to give it to you. Your too weak, and especially in the state that your in? You won't make it a week in this pack. All he's going to do is take the information from you, and send you back-" "LEAH!" Bran snapped, as he walked in to what Caelie assumed was the living room. Sam stood still, waiting until Leah had wandered off, before helping Caelie in to the house.

Bran took a seat in the living room in front of the fire place, poking at the fire to ensure that it kept going, as Sam and Caelie got settled. Sam sat on the couch in front of Bran, as Caelie got on the floor, on her knees, and rested on the back of her feet. Sam and Bran frowned, but said nothing, as she looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry for bothering you this late at night, but this important, sir. All of the Californian packs, and some of the Nevada packs are gathering forces." She paused, giving it a moment to digest. "They want to kidnap the mates of your sons, and Mercy herself, and ransom you. Get you to step down in that manner, if they can't they plan on using your lack of ability to protect them as anchorage to start a revolt." Bran nodded, as Sam frowned.

"How do you know this? Why should we trust you?" Sam asked softly, as Caelie nodded.

"I've been in the cage for the past two years, the alpha's room is almost directly above the cage, though I dont think he realizes it yet. I could hear all of the conversations between him and the men, all of them reffering to you, Bran, and your family. I couldn't get out until now, otherwise you would have known sooner." Bran once again nodded, as Sam leaned back in to the sofa.

"Why do you need asylum?" Bran asked, as Caelie looked up, meeting his eyes, not in difance.

"I've been called the rebel since I can remember. I'm not old, not as old as you, but long enough to remember when you were with Charles' mother. When I first become the rebel for different ways of thinking, I thought that nothing could break me. I was the rebel, I'll always bounce back." She paused, looking at the ground. "Thats not true. I haven't bounced back from what they've done to me. I'm hoping that you would be able to help me, if not, kill me. I would like my pride intact when I go." Bran nodded, as she lowered her eyes once more, and his met Sam's.

"Your welcome in my home, Caelie, and to run with our pack until further notice. You have nothing to fear from us, or our pack, and after proving your loyalty would be allowed to join. You know the consequences shall you screw up. You can stay in our spare bedroom until further notice. I don't want you in the motel, and I would think your tired of cages." Caelie nodded, as she stood up, and walked to the back of the house, "Third door on the right, Caelie." A nod could be seen, as she walked back there. They waited until they heard the door shut, before Bran looked at Sam.

"She's not how I remember her." Sam stated quietly, as Bran nodded. " I barely recognized her when I saw her, she is so thin, and her personality..." Bran nodded, looking at the area she sat at.

"They broke her wolf," Bran said quietly, as Sam's eyes narrowed.

"Is that even possible? Even with her being female, I would argue that she's about as dominant as they come, and to make her submissive? That would take time, and effort." Bran nodded.

"I listened out for news on the rebel. She was always up to something, and I hadn't heard anything from her, or the supposed pack she was with for over ten years. Her wolf had finally mated her, and everyone assumed that she had become docile. I'm beginning to wonder though, if she was willingly submissive, or if that quiet time was actually them breaking her." Sam shook his head.

"Da, Charles doesn't know she's here. You remember how overprotective he was of her while she was here. She reminds him of his mother, and she used to feed the fire sending him presents and stuff." Bran snorted.

"She came to this pack three times in person, and everyone remembers her perfectly, she was that much of an enigma," Bran laughed, as he glanced at his bedroom door.

"How's Leah going to take Caelie being in the house?" Bran shrugged.

"She'll deal, like always," Sam snorted.

"She's going to kill her in her sleep, thats what. Be afraid, be very afraid." Bran raised an eyebrow.

"Who, Leah or Caelie?" Bran asked, as Sam shook his head.

"My bets are on Caelie winning. Though, if your not careful, you really will have a fight for dominancy from the two of them." Bran nodded, looking at his bedroom.

"I think I would like to see that."


	2. Welcome To The Pack

Chapter Two- Welcome to the Pack

Caelie laid in the bed, her sleep interrupted by the smell of food wafting down the hall. She groaned, crawling out of the bed, and in to the bathroom just across the hall from her room. She shut the door slowly, and looked in the mirror.

She was still wearing the clothes Sam had forced her to put on in the car. They were Mercy's spare clothes, and were slightly to big for her, but for now it would work. Her skin was pale, so pale compared to the contrasting brown it normally was. God, she looked bad. Her hair flopped down instead of its normal healthy wave that it took on, and her bones were sticking out everwhere. She looked like a zombie reject.

"Come on, Caelie, you've got to get yourself together," She mumbled as she ran water over her face, before leaving the bathroom, and headed towards the kitchen.

"Leah, look, she has no where to go, she's going to stay," Bran growled out, as Caelie came upon the kitchen. Bran sat at the island, as Leah leaned against the counter, staring each other down, as Leah glared at him.

"She's a rebel, Bran. She does nothing but cause trouble every time she is here. Shall I remind you the last time you got a phone call from her?" Caelie held back the urge to snort. That was over 15 years ago, and she's still bitching about the fact that Charles snatched the phone from her and took off? What was she supposed to do, tell the boy she couldn't talk?

"She was being nice to Charles, You know, something you can do everyonce in a while," Bran said, as Leah snorted.

"We both know your sons want nothing to do with me, and I want nothing to do with them." She said calmly, as she pushed a plate of eggs in front of Bran. Bran took a bite, eyes never leaving his mate.

"Then do not get mad at her when she actually interacts with my sons. She's known Charles her whole life." Leah shook her head, putting the eggs away, as Caelie actually made herself known.

"Please don't put those away. I would like to fix myself some," She said calmly, as she took the eggs of Leahs hands. Leah snatched them back, almost cracking some as Caelie sighed.

"Look, I dont want to cause any trouble," She said calmly, as Leah glared openly at her.

"Then get out of my house, pack, and never come back." Caelie sighed, looking down, and walking back to the guest room. Bran watched, with a frown settling on his face.

"Can you not be a selfish bitch for ten seconds?" Bran asked, as Leah glared at him.

"She's not welcome here, Bran. She never will be." Bran shook his head, as he walked back towards the guest room.

"You weren't either when you first came here, but people at least treated you with respect." Leah snapped her head toward his retreating form, as he knocked on the door.

"Caelie?" He asked, as he heard shuffling in the room. He opened the door to find her making the bed, her shoes on, even though they were not previously on, and her hair pulled in the a low ponytail.

There was a frown on her face, as she straightened out the bed, making it neat as possible. Bran stood there and watched her work for a few minutes as she sighed and looked at him.

"I'll take a room at the lodge, and I'll pay for it once I find a job. Can I get a loan until then?" she asked, a weary sound to her that he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Caelie-" He started to say, as she held up a hand.

"She's your mate. She doesn't want me here. I am a threat to her, she knows that, I know that, and we're both going to be fighting instincts in this situation. I'll leave." Bran nodded, looking out the window for a moment.

"You should visit Charles. He has a mate." Bran said quietly, as Caelie stared at the ground.

"I will at some point. I'm sorry for stopping you in your sentence, that was inappropriate of me," She stated softly, as she lowered heself to her knees. Bran stood, watching as Caelie made herself as small as possible and submitted her neck to him. He stared, before patting her on the head and leaving the room.

"What have they done?" Bran mumbled to himself, as he walked out the house and in to his humvee. He sat there a moment, before driving to Charle's house, needing to speak with his son.

As pulled in to Charles' driveway, his cell phone went off, showing Leah's cell phone number. He felt his wolf sigh, as he opened the phone, "What did she do now, Leah?"

Leah growled, as he heard Caelie crying in the background, "She didn't get out quick enough. So I helped her." Bran felt a growl rise in the back of his throat, but withheld it.

"Bran, I'm sorry," He heard Caelie whimper, as shuffling noises could be heard. The sound of a door opening and closing made him sigh, as Leah growled once again.

"What did you do Leah?"Bran asked, as he climbed out of the car, and walked up to the house, knocking lightly.

"I reminded her of her place in the pack. Beneath everybody, and not trusted. She's nothing to the pack, and I reminded her of that." Charles opened the door, and raised an eyebrow as Bran rolled his eyes.

"Leah, this is getting ridiculous. She's fragile right now, and your breaking her even more than she was before she got to us." Leah snorted, as sat down on the sofa.

"She's going to have to learn now, or she'll try to take it later. When she is better and is back to her rebelious ways. I much prefer to have her broken now, and submissive later." Bran growled, as Charles lead him in to the house, and in to the living room, where Anna sat, smiling.

"Caelie isn't like that, Leah. She's just close to certain portions of my family." Bran explained calmly, as Charles' eyebrows shot up.

"She's a problem that needs to be taken care of, Bran. Until you take care of this bitch, I don't want her in my house, and her position needs to be reminded." Bran sighed once again, as Charles snorted.

"Some people tell me that about you." Bran said softly, as Leah went quiet. Anna held back a snort, as Charles smirked.

"Good Bye, Bran," She stated before hanging up. Bran shut his phone, and looked at Charles.

"Sorry about that, my wife seems to have caused one of my guests emotional damage." Charles nodded as Bran sat in the chair across from Anna.

"Caelie's here?" Charles asked, his voice calm, but eyes sparkled.

"Yes, Caelie is here. That is why I came over." Bran ran a hand through his hair, resisting the urge to sigh again. He hadn't sighed this much since Mercy was raped.

"Whats wrong with Caelie? She didn't do anything illegal did she? She's pretty good at staying the rules in her protests." Charles said, as Anna's eyebrows shot up.

"Actually, I think I could handle that kind of Caelie compared to the one that she has become. She's become submissive." Charles frowned, as Anna got a confused look on her face.

"Who is Caelie?" Bran smiled at Anna.

"She's a wolf that has been around a long time. She's earned her reputation as the Rebel. She's been a pain in everyone's ass since she changed, even more than Mercy, and thats saying something. She disappeared from sight about 10 years, and the rumor was that she mated, and had settled down. No one knows what happened though, since all she told me last night after she ran all the way to Mercy's garage, was that she had been in a cage for 2 years, and that they hurt her." Charles frowned, as Anna leaned forward.

"So? That means?" Anna asked, as Charles answered this time.

"She's a dominant. She's arguably as dominant as Bran, but since she's female, she can't claim anything. She'd have to mate with an Alpha to get the position she deserves, thats why she's a rebel. She's been fighting the system since she realized that she had a problem with authority figures. She purposefully avoided coming to Aspen Creek due to Bran's alphaness. She was always fighting with him, the three times she ever came," Charles snorted, "To prevent arguments, and a dominance battle, they settled for calling each other." Bran nodded, as he snorted.

"If you had to rank her, where would she be then?" Anna asked, as Bran got a thoughtful look.

"Before I saw her yesterday? I'd make her my second, and could comfortably know that the pack would be safe. She's more dominant and Sam and Charles put together, and she knew it. She used to use it to her advantage. Now? She's not even ranked. She wont look me in the eyes, She got on her knees several times in front of me. The one time she stopped me once in a sentence and apologized for it. Out of all the years I've known her, the only time she apologizes is when she's hurt someone." Charles sat down next to Anna, leaning back and biting his lip.

"She was crying when she left the house because Leah said something. I dont know what to do with her. Her wolf is just as broken as she is. Her passion isn't there, her eyes are hollow. She told me that if she couldn't find that passion, that she wanted me to kill her." Charles nodded, as a weary look came up in Bran's eyes.

"So, your here because you want Anna to go visit her, and see if she can draw it or if she's too broken," Bran shook his head.

"I want you, Charles, to go talk to her. She knows you, and trusts you. Your not as dominant as me, and maybe she'll open herself up to you." Charles nodded, as Bran ruffled his hair again.

"Leah's feeling insecure again, isn't she?" Anna asked, when the silence had overwhelmed the,

"Leah is Leah, and sooner or later we will work it out." Bran said easily, as Anna leaned her head over.

"Your wolf is rethinking the mating, isn't it? It likes her wolf, but not the human." Bran shook his head, as he stood up.

"She should be at the lodge, in room 1, but if she's not, you know how to find her. Please, help me fix this, Charles. This is just downright depressing." Bran walked to the door, and let himself out, as Anna and Charles watched him.

"When is he going to realize that his feelings toward Caelie aren't just pack worries?" Anna asked, as Charles shrugged.

"He's been avoiding her forever now. She's the only person who could possibly control him, and wouldn't cause him to scream by doing it. She's a manipulator too." Anna nodded, as she got up.

"Where are you going?" Charles asked, as he turned to look at her. She smiled widely.

"I'm off to get dressed. I want to meet this Caelie. Maybe she'll feel better if someone understands her." Charles nodded, as he waited.

CAELIE sat in room 1 of the lodge. After much insistence from the staff, she was put in to room one, where she found several articles of clothing had been laid out for her, and a note stating that Bran demanded that she wear it. She sighed, jumping in to the shower off to the side, and dressed in the tank top she had left here on accident the last time almost twelve years ago. It was too big on her now, since her amount of meals had been cut down, but it fit. She picked up the pants that laid on the bed, and felt tears lightly fall down her face. It was her favorite pair of ripped jeans. She kept them at Aspen because she knew Bran would put them up for her. Her mate didn't like her grunge look, putting her in dresses instead of jeans. Her hair was done instead of the ponytail that she constantly had worn. Her nails had been done, prettied up, and polished. She was required to rarely ever shift. She became a housewife, and she hated it.

But her mate asked it of her. She was doing it for her mate, and her mate wanted her to look like a model wife, not the disgrace she had become. She closed her eyes, sliding the jeans on, feeling the rebellion in such actions, and cringing. This wasn't her anymore. She would no longer be the woman that refused to stand for the societal action against women. She wouldn't fight the alpha, and get kicked out of a pack, only to be sent to Bran for reprimanding. That wasn't her, and it never would be.

A knocking on the door jerked her out of her thoughts, and causing her to drop her pants on the floor. She paused, as someone knocked on the door again, and sighed.

"Coming, Coming", she yelled, yanking the jeans on. She felt herself sigh, as the once skin tight jeans barely held on to her waist. She picked up the belt off to the side, and slide it through the loops of the pants, while walking to the door. Another knock came, as she unlocked the door, and opened it slowly.

She felt her breath leave her, as the boy she once knew stood in the door way staring at her. He had grown, and from the look on in his eye, he had harden. An easy smile graced his lips, as he pushed the door open a little wider, and held his arms out.

"Caelie," He said happily, that little bit of happiness glinting in his eyes. Caelie stared at him another moment, before slowly moving in to the hug. She let him hold her for a moment, before slowly moving away from him, attempting at a smile.

"Wow, Charles, you've gotten huge." She said, smiling, as walked in the room. Behind him was a woman she did not recognize, as he held an arm out, and took the other woman in his arms. Caelie felt herself look at the ground, though she did not stare at it.

" I'm sorry I didn't know you had a mate." Caelie stated, as she tried to make herself as small as possible without actually getting on the ground. Charles felt himself frown at her, as she did this. Once upon a time she would have hugged Anna as if she was her own. Now she backed away?

"My name is Anna," Anna said softly, a frown wrinkling her face. She looked over at Charles, whose frown was etched in to his face.

"Caelie?" He asked, as he walked closer, and she lightly flinched. He reached out a hand for her, and he watched her flinch at him, before backing up from him.

"Yes, Charles?" She asked walking in a wide circle around him to avoid his touch once again. She sat on the other side of the bed, smiling at him with a smile that did not meet her eyes.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern leaking in to his voice, as he glanced over at Anna. Tears filled the rims of Anna's eyes as she shook her head.

"I'm fine, a little tired. So this is the one whole stole you away from me for good," Caelie put her hand over her heart, a smile resting on her lips as she pretended to be heartbroken over it. Charles finally smiled as he saw a glimpse of the woman she was there, but rolled his eyes.

"You'll always be my first love, Caelie. You were just a little bit much for me when I last saw you," he chuckled, as she tried to once again hide the flinch from him.

"Yeah, I was a rambunctious thing", Caelie sighed, as she looked at Charles. "I'm sorry to ask this in such a rude way, but why are you here?"

Charle sighed, running a hand through his hair, before turning and looking her in the face. Who he had once thought of as a second mother was disappearing in front of his eyes, and there might be nothing that can be done.

"Father has called a pack meeting so that you can get adjusted to the pack, and meet the people. He asked me if I would be the one to take you there." Caelie nodded, standing up, wrapping her arms around herself and rubbing. She walked over to the stand and picked up her, key before turning to him.

"You ready?" She asked, looking at the two in expectation. Charles nodded, trying to get the disappointed look off his face, and regain the happy joy he had when he first saw her. Trying was the key word.

Bran stood next to Sam in his house as he announced that there would be a new member and that she was on her way. Bran resisted the urge to sigh once again at the defeated tone that Charles held when he told him that they were on there way. Something like that didn't sit right with Bran, but he took as he could.

"Do you think that she'll handle the pack better?" Sam asked, as Bran walked out of the living room, and in to the kitchen, to get a glass of water.

"I have no idea. She's not responding to Charles, which is the first that I have ever seen. He thought of her as a mother figure, and she thought of him as the son she would never have. For them not to connect again, it worries me." Sam nodded, as he got himselzf a glass of water.

"Should we be worried?" Sam asked, as Brans eyes got dark.

"Not worried for the pack. I dont think she has it in her to harm anyone, but herself... I worry that I may have to let her go in an attempt to take her out of her misery." Bran leaned over the counter. "Have you heard anything from her pack, yet?" Sam nodded, eyes lowered to the ground.

"Rumors have spread through the grapevine that a female wolf of Caelies description ran away. She supposedly killed two humans and needs to be killed immediately upon sight. There is no proof that she did those things though, just the word of the Alpha, who was her mates brother." Sam paused. "Along with the rumors that she had murdered someone, was the rumors that she was held in a cage in the basement of the Alpha's house. The Alpha and his brother only let her out when she acted like a proper lady, by their standards. She was not allowed to talk back, nor give her opinion. She was not allowed to question anything that they did to her, no matter what they did, or what they asked her to do. She was not allowed to run with the pack. She had to give sex to each man in the pack, no matter how dangerous it was. She was punished all the time for minor things, and they were severe punishments."

Sam paused again, looking at Bran's blank face. "That was all I could get out of people, but there was more. I never found out what the punishments were, I never found out how many men forced her, or anything in that nature. Even if I did, it just supports my belief that I have no fucking clue how she survived over ten years in that hell hole, and even how she got to this point without a mental breakdown." Bran nodded, letting the sigh that he had been holding back for a the time out.

"That would do it." Bran stated, as he took another sip of his water. A knock on the door echoed through the house, as Bran sat his water on the counter. " Lets go see if we can fix her."

Sam followed behind Bran as they walked in to the living room, and to the door, opening it to reveal Charles in the front, a pained expression echoing on his face. He walked in quickly, moving to let Anna, who held the same look with a twinge of confusion. Bran watched as she moved just as quickly getting in, to find Caelie behind them. He held back a gasp, keeping his face nuetral as he could.

He knew she had lost weight, it was evident last night, but the amount was not noticable until she put on her own clothes. She had left several articles of clothing for him to keep in case of emergencies, and she needed to come there. They had discussed it thoroughly, so as to not have any dominance issues when she arrived. But here she was, the once skin tight jeans that she had worn so often now hanging off of her. The shirt that had once accented her shapely curves hung off her shoulders since they no longer were wide enough to hold it up. Bran's eyes glanced over at his sons, both of whom were staring at Caelie with hurt expressions. Sam analyzed her, taking in every medical problem that would come with her, logging it in memory so as to remember later to tell Bran.

"Welcome, we have been waiting," Bran stated, as Caelie kept her eyes down while nodding at him. No words of welcome were said, no hugs that once would have cause him to roll his eyes, and huff were exchanged, just a nod. Caelie stood outside, a small as she could make herself while standing, waiting. "Caelie, come in the house." Bran said softly, as she walked slowly in to the house. The pack watched with curiosity, as she walked in the house, and was ushered over to the sofa by Charles. Charles, Anna and Sam, sat next to each other, making enough room for Caelie to sit, only for her to get to her knees, and sit next to Sam's feet once again. Both eyes downcast as she refused to meet anyones eyes. The pack looked back and forth between Bran and Caelie, watching, waiting. Bran resisted the urge of sighing, his new hobby, and stood in front of the room.

"This is Caelie, she will be running with us for a while, and may be staying with us permanently. Treat her with respect, treat her as a guest, and even family. I should not need to go over this." The pack nodded, as they watched her. Her body was tense, perfectly still as she waited.

"Pack dismissed." Bran said, a defeated sound in his voice. The pack left quietly, which was a first, but the evidence of the tension was obvious. Bran waited for everyone to leave before turning and looking at the four sitting in his living room. He rubbed his hand over his face, before walking in to the kitchen, and pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

Moments of ringing before Mercy could be heard saying, " Hello?"

" I need help." Mercy went quiet, as a gasp went through her system.

"Bran, you never as for help." She stated. Bran felt the urge to scream be resisted, as he found a way to word what needed to be said.

" She's broken. I can't fix her." Bran said in the calmest voice he could find.

"The new girl?" Mercy asked, shuffling noises could be heard in the background, as Adam came in the room.

"Yeah, she's really bad Mercy, and I dont think I can fix this one." He stated, as he glanced back in to the living room, as Sam tried to drag Caelie in to a conversation.

"Have you tried to force her to face it?" Adam asked from the background.

"I dont even know where to begin." Bran sighed.

" Whats the prominent problem, and start with that. She has to confront it, and if she doesn't handle that very well, then evidently, she's not going to make it." Adam said confidently, as Bran nodded, before stopping.

"O.K." He hung up, walking in to the living room. Time to try something different.


	3. Long Way to Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still working on getting it up. Ignore the Errors. It's old.

Chapter Three- Long Way to Happy

Bran walked in to the living room, letting his alpha power roll through as he entered, causing Sam, Charles, and Anna to pause. Looking up at him without meeting his eyes, they moved away from Caelie, right where he was headed. He kneeled in front of her, feeling the tension in her body, and automatic urge to back away from him.

"Caelie," He said in a stern voice. Caelie jumped as if struck, and looked up without meeting his eyes. They were blank, filled with fear and sorrow, as she shivered.

"Yes, sir?" She asked, her voice empty, dead in the moment.

"Look me in the eyes, Caelie," Bran stated, putting his power in to his words, causing her to look up, and meet his eyes. There was flash in her eyes, as she recognized the challenge. For a little less than a second, Bran saw that fight in her. That very same fight that brought her in to his life, made his sons love her. That very same fight that had brought many packs to their knees in respect. Bran felt triumph, because for less than a second, he saw what he had been searching for, a way to heal her.

"Caelie, your going to go in to that spare bedroom, and sleep. Tomorrow morning, when you wake up, you are to eat your whole plate of food, and then come find me. Is that understood?" Caelie nodded, her eyes back to that defeated look, but a deep understanding there. Bran moved out of her way, and watched, and she did exactly as she was told. He took a deep breath, swallowing the power that he had let loose for a moment.

Sam let out a breath that he had been holding, as Charles, and Anna walked back in to their seat. Bran sat in the recliner in front of them, leaning back a smirk on his face.

"What the hell was that?" Charles asked quietly, as Anna took his hand, and rubbed it in circles.

"That was the secret weapon to getting Caelie back up and moving." Bran smiled at the boys, as both of them raised their eyebrows at him.

"I heard what Adam said, and I dont think that's what he meant," Sam rubbed his eyes, as Bran shook his head.

"No, she has to face the biggest problem with herself, and thats her own urges. Caelie is a very headstrong woman, she always has been. She loves being headstrong, but when someone took that from her, she was left with nothing. So what am I going to do? I'm going to boss her around. I am going to treat her like a five year old, and watch the anger come back, because out of all the things she hates, she hates that most especially." Bran looked proud of himself, as both boys shook their head.

"That actually makes sense," Charles mumbled under his breath, " That scares me because it actually made sense to me." Anna laughed at the boys antics.

"Well, thats one way to get her up and moving," She stated, as she glance back at the rooms, "Where's Leah?" Bran sighed heavily.

"In the bedroom, hiding. She's still upset with me that I let Caelie in the home." Anna nodded.

"What are you going to do tomorrow morning, when Caelie gets up and eats with Leah in the house?"

"Stop the fight from erupting, on Leah's end at least, I don't think Caelie has enough fight in her to fight Leah. Besides, Leah's got the room tonight, I'm going to sleep outside the guest room door, and make sure she's sleeping." Anna smiled, a secret smile, before looking at Charles, then Sam.

"I think it is time we take our leave, Alpha, but if you need us, give us a call, it would be wonderful to help her. She seems like an amazing person when she's not hurting." Bran nodded, as he led them out the door, frowning at the look that came upon Anna's face. He said nothing as all three of them walked out the door, and got in the cars and drove off, leaving him standing in the doorway staring off in to space.

"Bran?" He looked behind him to find Caelie standing in a long t-shirt, her thin pale arms wrapped around her body, and her eyes dimmed by the sadness. He smiled at her, taking in the hurt that she must be feeling. "I'm hungry, I know you ordered me to bed, but can I get something to eat?" Her voice sounded small, like she was trying not to ask, but knew she had to. Bran took in the noticable shaking that her body seemed to be doing, along with the paleness in her skin tone.

"When was the last time that you ate?" He asked softly, walking towards her. She flinched, going to take a step back, but stopping with her head down.

"I ate a couple pieces of raw meat at Mercy's but then I changed back to human form, and before that it had been at least three days. So, about 5 days of not much," She stated, her head down, as Bran took her arm and led her to the kitchen.

"How are you surviving? You should not be able to function at this point." Caelie shrugged, not meeting the mans eyes, as he sat her down at the island, and got some bacon out.

"You learn to live off of what little you can get. The Pack used to do this to me all the time, not feed me for days on end, until I went feral, and then give me something to calm me. It worked when they wanted it to work, when I stopped going feral, but passing out, they pushed me longer, and harder." Bran's head shook, as he led her to the stool next to the island, gently guiding her in to the seat. She took the seat with no complaints, leaning against the island, as he pulled out various items to cook with.

"Well, you don't have to do that here. You get hungry, go ahead and eat," Bran said in the most neutral tone he could find. Caelie blinked slowly, resting her head on the counter, her arms wrapped around her face in a comforting manner.

"Yes, sir," She mumbled, closing her eyes, listening to him as he moved around the kitchen. Bran turned and looked at her, his normally hard eyes softening at the half-sleep woman. He began whipping the eggs that he had pulled out to make an omelet, the peaceful feeling bringing the purr from his wolf on the tip of his tongue. Bran froze, before shaking his head, and continuing their late night breakfast. When he finished the food, he lightly shook her arms, jerking her awake, to reveal sleep dazed eyes.

"Hun, you gotta eat something, and then you can go back to bed, alright?" Caelie nodded, leaning her head on hand, that was propped up against the counter. She looked down at her plate, before picking up her fork, and stabbing one of the pieces of the egg. She slowly lifted up to her mouth, clomping down on it. Bran held back a snort at the resemblance between Caelie's tired eating skills, and Sam's angry eating habits when he was a child.

" If you keep stabbing at it like that, your gonna accidently break the plate." Caelie shook her head, before yawning, and getting another piece of egg, gently this time, though.

"I'm sorry," Caelie said softly, as Bran watched her.

"Caelie, what broke you? What happened to my rebellious fire cracker?" Bran mumbled under his breath, when he turned to wash the dishes.

"I thought I found my mate." Bran turned, looking at the woman whose head was in her hands, staring down at the plate. " I thought that he would turn away from me. He told me he would turn away from me. I thought I was in love, that my wolf had found someone to be satisfied with, and he turned out to be the worst mistake ever."

"We all make mistakes, Caelie," Caelie laughed, a cold disheartening laugh.

"I thought if I changed, became what his ideal woman was, he'd change too. All he did was give me to the rest of the pack, like a C.D. That didn't really matter to him. He beat me, he let them rape me, he quieted me. I wasn't allowed to shift, unless absolutely necessary, and when I did, he beat the shit out of me. Put my wolf in her place, and crap like that. He banned me from talking to those who I cared about, and those who would know I was in trouble." She paused, to look Bran in the eye. Bran met her gaze, taking in the loss, the hurt, and the brokenness. "He killed me, and brought me back. Stop my heart for a second or two, and then bring me back, as if that was any better." She shook her head. " At least then, it stopped. No more pain, regret, fear, hate, nothing. Nothing, but that comforting blackness."

Bran turned, putting the dishes in the dishwasher, before turning to look back at her. She closed her eyes, struggling to slide off the stool.

"So many nightmares, and memories haunt me and my wolf, Bran. Maybe it's time for me to go. Maybe it's time for the rebel to put her flag away, and rest." Bran shook his head at her.

"No, I won't do it, and I won't let you either." Caelie laughed.

"Bran, what are you going to do? I'm becoming a danger to everyone, and everything in this house, this pack. I'm becoming a liability, a weakness, and we all know you clean them out." Bran snorted at her.

"Give me a week. One week to bring back the rebel. One week to try and fix the damage that has been done to you. If I can't, I will gladly put you to rest, and avenge you, but not before." Caelie nodded, standing on her own two feet finally, staring at him. She started to walk towards her room, only to hear Bran's footsteps behind her. She stopped, turning to meet him.

"You passed by your room," Bran shrugged, walking past her to the guest room. He opened the door, and gestured for her to enter. She slowly walked in, stopping at the foot of her bed, watching as Bran stripped off his shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Healing you. You need touch, the feel of another wolf. It will help heal your inner wolf, and sooth your nightmares, to have someone your know holding you." Caelie's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Won't Leah throw a hissy fit about this?" Bran sighed, meeting her eyes.

"I am Alpha. I have things I must do, and people who need me. She needs to understand that her insecurities are starting to interfere with that. Now, get in the bed, and go to sleep," Bran lightly growled, as Caelie lowered her eyes, and got in the bed. She curled to one side, as Bran climbed on the other side of the bed. She held her breath, as he curled in to her, his chest resting against her back. He put her arm across her stomach, his other hand lightly petting her hair.

She laid there, tense, and aware of every movement he made, but it wasn't long before her body gave in to the sleep it so desperately needed. Her eyes closed, allowing the soothing sensation of him being there, lull her to sleep. Bran felt more than heard her body finally go to sleep while he held her to him. He watched her, letting his eyes take in the worn out person that laid next to him.

He had a week. A week to convince her that she wanted to live, that she provided something to life, and for once, the master of games didn't think he would win. He had finally found a game a little bit harder than what he was used to, one that would cost him to lose. One that would cause his son to lose something,one that would cause Bran himself to lose something. Bran felt his wolf walk to the edge, peeking out through his eyes at the woman next to him. He resisted the urge to whimper that came from his wolf, as irritation, and fear filled the wolf. Bran pushed him back, closing his eyes, and taking in the scent from Caelie. That was the way he fell asleep.

BRAN woke to the sound of the guest room door slamming open, his eyes trying to quickly take in the sight of Leah leaning in the doorway. He glance over to where Caelie laid in his arms, her face buried in to his side, though from the relaxed way that she laid, she was still sleeping. He had made it to his back at some point during the night, and her arm rested across his chest, as the rest of her body curled in to his side.

"Well, isn't this a fucking lovely sight?" Leah snapped, as Bran worked his way out of Caelie's arms. He had to stop several times, when he heard her whimper at his movement, or when it seemed that moving would disturb the deep sleep he had finally accomplished in getting her in.

"She's a victim, Leah. She needed someone to comfort her through the night," Leah snorted, as Bran finally made it out of the bed. He turned and looked at the woman who had now accomplished in curling herself in to a ball on the bed. She was silent, for now, but Bran couldn't help but wonder how long that would last. "She needs the help of the pack, and time to heal."

"Then send her to Charles, and Anna. She doesn't need to be here for that to happen," Leah stomped out the room, and down the hall, in to their room, Bran not too far behind. "That's what Anna's good for, right? Healing broken wolves? Then have her fix this shit. Your Alpha, you don't need to be worried about this shit. Same thing I told you about Mercy, but do you listen to me? No." She sat on his bed, and looked at him, as he stared at her.

"Same shit, different day, Bran. You'd think that you would have learned your lesson after Mercy came along and fucked up the pack, and everything in it. Now, your letting HER in here, and it won't be long be long before she starts up her little rebellious acts again. It won't be long before she starts whispering in your ear again, attempting to manipulate you like always, and the rest of us are stuck with whatever fucking game she started!" Leah panted, her scream echoing through the house, as Bran leaned on the door frame.

"You're right, I am Alpha, and it is MY job to protect my pack. I am also, MARROK, which means that I have a job to protect women like her from the shit she went through. God, Damn it, Leah, leave the poor girl alone. She's been through enough as it is! We will not be having this argument again!" Bran snapped, as he turned her back to him.

"Your my mate, Bran. You need to start acting like it," Leah snapped, causing Bran to stop in mid-stride. He paused, shaking his head, before continuing forward in to the kitchen. His cell phone sat nicely on the dresser, a flashing light showing that he had a message.

"Hey Bran, it's Mercy. Adam has some things that need to be done in Montana, so we're headed up your way. Thought we would come by and visit you, and Charles while we were out there. Give me a call back when you get this message." Bran snorted, dialing Adam's cell number.

"Hauptman," Adam grunted, as Bran opened the closet, and pulled out the pancake mix.

"How far are you guys from here?" He poured the powder in to the bowl, before mixing it with eggs and water.

"About an hour away from you, and we're headed that way. Got some visitors asking about that girl," Mercy called out, as Bran stopped mixing.

"Good, or bad?" Mercy snorted loudly.

"Bad enough that they have several guys looking for her, claiming that she's a danger, and that she needs to be killed on the spot. Bad enough that I'm headed up there, and leaving the pack in Darryl's hands." Bran held back another sighed.

"Do you think her presence is a threat to the pack?"

"I don't think it's presence, as much as these guys don't know that you have her already, and are willing to shut her up. They heard what happened to Anna's pack, and don't want that happening to them."

"So that ups the chance that they will come here," Bran muttered.

"Then I need to leave," Bran jumped, as Caelie stood in the t-shirt and shorts that she had worn last night, eyes downcast, and body tense.

"Caelie, what are you doing up?" Bran asked, lightening his posture, keeping the happy go lucky look on.

"I've been up since you and Leah-" She stopped, looking at the phone, before looking at him, but not meeting his eyes. "I've been up long enough to know whats going on." Bran began mixing the pancakes again.

"Caelie, there's no need for you to leave. Even if they attempt to come after you, they would be stupid in attacking the Marroks pack." Caelie shook her head at Adam's words, only to sit on the stool.

"I'm putting you guys at risk," She mumbled, as she laid her head on the counter again.

"Look, we'll discuss it when Adam and I get there. It shouldn't be long now, and decide a course of action then," Mercy said, as Bran let the sigh out.

"Agreed. I'll see you soon." He hung up, before pouring some of the batter in to the pan. He held out his phone to Caelie. "Call Charles, and Sam, and tell them that they are needed here in about an hour." Caelie nodded, placing the calls, while Bran made pancakes.

They were in the middle of eating breakfast quietly, when a knock came from the door. Bran got up and answered the door, to find Mercy, her hair pulled in to a loose ponytail, shirt and Jeans spotted with oil. Adam was behind her, his crisp suit taking in heavy contrast with his wifes torn clothing. Bran smiled, hugging Mercy briefly, before nodding at Adam.

"I'm glad you guys came," Bran stated, as he turned his head, to catch Caelie standing in the hall, just far enough away that she could say hello, without being touched, " You remember Caelie, don't you?" Mercy smiled at her, a warm smile compared to the one she normally wore. It was Adam, though, that came in, and shook her hand,.

"You look better," He stated, smiling at her. Caelie gave a soft smile back, one that never reached her eyes, but made Bran let out a breath that he had once been holding.

"Well, thats good. I must have looked like total crap when I first saw you guys," Caelie laughed, as Adam finally took a step back. Adam's mouth opened in response, when a door shutting echoed through the house. Stomping could be heard, before Leah was seen, but it made an impact. Bran turned just in time to see Caelie and Leah's eyes meet, and even though it only lasted a second, Caelie's eyes hardened, as they used to. It was no longer as easy to submit to Leah as it was before, but Caelie's eyes still dropped to the ground.

Bran got in the middle of them, as he turned and looked at Leah, giving Caelie his back. Leah growled, her hazel eyes going to an amber color, as she took a step towards Caelie, prepared to pounce. Bran let his hand fall on the Leah's shoulder, only for it to get knocked off. Bran had seen that coming, what he had not seen coming, was Caelie's growl from behind him. Leah jumped, ready to attack, hitting Bran in the face, in his attempt to prevent Leah from hurting her. He pushed Leah back, as Adam grabbed Leah's arms, only to be met with the sound of Caelie growling behind him. He turned to find Mercy's hand on Caelie's arm, and her whispering calming things in her ear. Caelie nodded, but her eyes never changed back. Even when Bran and Caelies eyes met, her eyes did not change, and for the first time since her return, she did not submit to him. Bran did a happy dance on the inside, but showed no emotion to the up werewolf in front of him.

"She is not to hit you again," Caelie snapped, her body standing straight, as Mercy let her go, and backed up.

"Caelie, she's my mate, you cannot interefere with that," Bran said calmly, as Caelie rolled her eyes.

"I said, she is not to hit you again," Caelie stated, her arms crossing in to it's familiar position. Bran resisted the urge to smile, searching for his wolfs dominance play. When he found nothing, he resisted the urge to shake his head. Great, he was going to have to play this one on his own.

"I am alpha here, Caelie," Bran stated, letting his alpha powers come to play across the room. Caelie laughed, letting out the dominant side that she had buried down in her capture. She finally let out the portion of herself that would not allow anything, or anyone to dominate her. She let out her passion, that filled her wolf, and her with the ability to be who she was. An alpha with no pack, and no ability to be a leader. She was a rebel.

"Let's try this again, Bran. I said, she was not to hit you again," Power swirled around her, as Bran and Caelie let their dominance play suffocate the room.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Leah called from her corner in the room, only for Caelie to turn her eyes to Leah. Leah flinched, looking down almost immediatley, giving Caelie the dominance play. Bran felt his wolf finally come to the forefront, watching the action unfold, as Caelie put Leah down. Charles, Anna, and Sam entered the room, just as Bran blinked slowly. Anna bit her tongue, as Bran's wolf dismissed Leah, and acknowledged Caelie as a potential mate.

"Well, Fuck," Anna mumbled under her breath, as Caelie met Bran's eyes once again. Charles nodded, as the pressure in the air finally dimmed down, and they came to a stand off.

"Did what I think just happened, happen?" Sam mumbled, as Caelie and Bran looked away at the same time, taking their dominance levels to nil while they were at it.

"Yeah, it did," Adam murmured, as Caelie finally turned and looked at the group.

"Sorry about that," She mumbled, meeting their eyes, before quickly lowering them. Slow blinking echoed around the room, as everyone tried to grasp what had just happened. Leah slowly got up, her cheeks carrying the red that reflected the anger that filled her.

"Leah, I advise that you walk away from this situation while it is still diffused," Anna calmly stated, letting Charles wrap his arm around her in a protective gesture. Caelie kept her back to Bran and Leah, as Leah stomped out of the room, Bran following behind her. The blasting of Mozart alerted everyone that a private conversation would be going on. Sam smiled at Caelie, who sighed lightly, before putting a smile on her face, and crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry for the rudeness, please come in the kitchen," She turned her back to the group, though knew they followed her as she walked in to the kitchen. " I thought he had made enough pancakes for everyone..." Caelie pulled out the stuff to make more pancakes, as the group crowded around the island.

"Does everyone want pancakes?" She asked, as the boys nodded enthusiastically, and the woman snorted.

"You just ate!" Anna chimed at Charles, who shrugged.

"You've never had her pancakes!" Sam called back, as he gave a lingering smirk.

"You haven't had my pancakes in a long time, how do you know I didn't get horrible at making them?" Charles snorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'll believe your pancakes taste like shit, the same day that Leah accepts that Mercy is a vital portion of this family, and claims her as a daughter!" Mercy's eyes got hysterically wide.

"That will happen around the same time hell freezes over, Apes take over the world, pigs learn to fly, Latonya Jackson becomes a virgin again, and Elvis makes a new hit record!" Mercy paused, " All within a day of each other!" Laughter filled the kitchen, as Caelie poured batter in to the pan, shaking her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"THIS IS MY HOUSE BRAN! MY FUCKING HOUSE, AND I AM YOUR FUCKING MATE!" Everyone froze as Leah's voice echoed through the house. No one heard Brans response, but it was less than a minute later before they heard the door slam, and Leah came stomping in to the room. Caelie looked at Leah only to lower her eyes and look back at the food on the stove.

"Why? What the fuck could you gain from taking him from me? Need your pride back after all that womens rights shit that you spouted, and all of a sudden you reduced yourself to nothing but a whore?" Caelie flinched, her eyes focused on the food. " Thats right, Caelie, a fucking whore! How many men did you bend over for in that fucking pack? Or was it the-"

"Stop it Leah!" Anna snapped at her, as Leah glared at her. Anna lowered her eyes immediately, but did not lose her voice, " Thats enough of your shit for one day!" Leah huffed, stomping her way to the door, before another door slam could be heard.

Caelie went through the movements of putting the pancakes on the plate, and handing each person a plate. She wore a smile on her face, but her eyes didn't hold the same light that it had held not minutes ago. Bran watched as she played hostess, listening to his pups make jokes, and leaned against the counter, letting her facade take over while she died slowly on the inside. His wolf whimpered, as he watched this, saw where she was going.

He walked in the room letting his movements guide him. She glanced at him, a smile glimmering on her face, though her eyes flinched back at him in fear. The wolf inside Bran whimpered, not being able to stand to see this woman flinch back from him, and all that he stood for. Bran reached hand out, wanting to lightly touch to her shoulders. He watched as she maneuvered away from him, acting as if she had been reaching for the bowl. The smile never faltered, even as she avoided Bran's every movement, and avoided eye contact.

"Da?" Charles quietly said, pulling Brans attention away from the women in front of him to the man behind him.

"You guys had information?" Bran asked, abnormally gruff, as Mercy fought to keep the amused smirk from her face.

"The alpha of the pack visited yesterday, very adamant that if we see her to give them a call. While walking out the door, I noticed the van, so Mercy, being herself, changed and jumped in to the van to see what it was up to." Adam looked at Mercy, who gave him an innocent grin before looking at Bran.

"While I was in the van, the guys were talking about how they needed to get her back before she ratted out to you. All the while mentioning that they were lucky that she ran, so they could scope out our house. I got a bad feeling, and when I got home, we ran. I can officially say that it wasn't one of my pet projects that are getting Adam and I in trouble again, it's bran's!" Charles snorted, shaking his head, as Anna snickered out loud.

"So you think they are going to come here soon?" Sam asked, leaning on the counter to look Adam in the face.

"I think they are going to be here within the next couple days prepared to argue that Bran has no rights over someone's mate." Mercy looked at Caelie, whose eyes were focused on the floor, frozen in her stance. Arms crossed against her chest, legs crossed, she never met anyones eyes.

"Well, they aren't going to get her." She glanced over at bran, before sighing.

"You dont have enough evidence of them trying to harm anyone, and if you fight for me, it'll just cause problems in the end. Hand me over, and find the stuff you need," Caelie mumbled, just loud enough for the room to hear. Sams eye brows shot up, as he glanced between Bran, who was practically glaring at Caelie, and Caelie, who looked serious.

"Caelie, we're not handing you over," Charles said calmly, barely taking notice that his father was lightly growling.

"I'm not causing a war. Nope, sorry, not happening," Caelie shook her head frantically, as Bran raised and eyebrow at her.

"Well, we're not handing you over," Bran snapped out, as Caelie closed her eyes.

"Look, hate to break it to you, but I'm not staying, and getting you killed. Sorry." Caelie looked at Sam, "Can you get me back to the oregon california state line by wednesday?"Sam raised his hands in the air, leaning back in the chair.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this!" Caelie rolled her eyes, though her stance was anything but defiant.

"Damn it, You don't have the information needed to break them apart without causing a riot, and you can't keep me without causing one, as I accepted the mating. Now, you can hand me over, reasonably when they get here, claiming that you believe them, and that you are so shocked that I'm a liar, then find out how to rip them a new one, or you can put your packs at risk, along with your sons, Mercy, and their mates to fight a war over me." Caelie glared at Bran, as glared back. After a couple seconds, she lowered her eyes, sighing. " I mean no disrespect, alpha, but you have to accept that your stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the rock is the easier of the two."

Bran held back the growl filling his chest, as he stared the defeated woman, " And what about you? Damn it Caelie, you might not make it out alive this time! It was pure luck that you made it out to Mercy's at all, and now your asking me to sign your death warrant."

"I hate to break it to you Bran, but you were going to have to sign it either way. I'm not going to survive here, I don't want to. I'm so tired, so cold, and for as much as you want to save me, there is nothing to save." Tears fell down her cheeks, as she stared at the ground. Bran felt his wolf start pacing, as the smell of defeat circled her. "I'm not worth starting a revolt over. I'm not worth the problems that will come. Now, you can send me back nicely, or I can go back on my own two feet right now. It'll be the last revolt in me, but I sure as hell will not put you or your family at risk."

Bran shook his head, as Caelie glanced back up, then back at the ground. "Caelie-"

"Damn it Bran, give me this! Give me this little bit of time before they get here, don't force me to go while I still have the will to walk out, please. Just take these couple days, and let me make my peace," Caelie snapped, as Bran felt his howl inwardly at the words. Bran glanced up, seeing Charles stone cold face looking away from the scene. Sam had a hand laying on his shoulder, a tight grip trying to hold what little bit of his brother that he could. Anna let the tears freely fall down her cheeks, as she held Charles hand. Mercy and Adam stared at the table, giving them their moment.

"Alright," Bran sighed, as Charles tensed.

"Dad," Charles snapped out, as Bran held back the whimpering of his own wolf.

"No, this is her descision, and she's right. We can't risk the possibilities of war." Caelie nodded, a small smile resting on her lips. Bran felt his heart break even more, as he realized that the smile was not a smile of happiness, but one of relief.

Bran was going to have to give up the one good thing that walked in to his life, again.


	4. How these dreams can come undone, when your young

Chapter Four- How these dreams can come undone, when your young

Bran laid on the bed, Leah curled up in to his side, as he attempted to sleep through what turned out to be a very long day. After much debate with his son, Charles practically stomped out the house, with Anna apologizing on the way out. Sam went quietly, walking out the house not a couple minutes later with a shaking head, and a quiet click. Mercy and Adam headed out a couple hours later, after Leah got home, and kept glaring at the group from the living room. Bran had cringed as he told Leah that Caelie would be going back here in a couple days, even as she smiled, and hugged him, rubbing circles on his back, telling him it would be alright.

"Don't worry baby, you'll always have me. She's just doing what she has to, to protect her new pack. Let her have her dignity," Leah whispered in to his ears, even as he looked at Caelie from over his mates shoulder. Her eyes lowered to the ground, as she tried to give the couple their moment.

"She's right, Bran. You'll always have your mate," Caelie said with a smile, though she never met his eyes.

Bran had hid the cringe that was attempting to become a full blown walk away, as he climbed in to bed with Leah for the first time in nearly two nights. Watching as Caelie dragged her broken body in to a lonely bed had been one of the most horrifying things that Bran had ever forced himself to watch, but Leah needed reassuring about the mating, something he could not ignore, especially not for the woman in the room down the hall.

He sighed as he heard another muffled scream come from that same room, as she woke herself up for the fourth time that night. His wolf growled at his lack of action, but for the first time in a long time, him and his wolf were not agreeing on what should be done. His wolf wanted him to protect her, claim her, but it wasn't going to happen. Not this time, and Bran was positive about this.

The sound of footsteps running quickly down the hall caught his attention, as the bathroom door opened and closed, and the sounds of puking met his ears. He sighed, as he no longer could leave the girl sick and alone in the bathroom with no comfort. She was already going to spend her last moments alone, she doesn't need to be alone in this.

Bran glanced at Leah as he crawled out of the bed and walked silently to the bathroom. He came to the shut door, knocking softly as there was another set of hurling.

"Come in," she mumbled, as Bran opened the door. She leaned against the toilet bowl, her thin frame heaving. She panted, sweat covering her pale skin as tears fell down her face. Bran glanced at the toilet, taking notice of the blood splattered lightly throughout it. He walked over, sitting on the edge of the tub, taking her sweat drenched hair in his hand, holding it, as she heaved harder, before puking her lungs out again. She cried a little harder, as he petted her head.

"Your alright. Your gonna be fine," Bran mumbled, as more blood showed it's face. Caelie coughed, before spitting and leaning back on his legs, sobbing.

"Bran, I can't do this anymore. The nightmares, the sleepless nights, the fear. I can't take the hopelessness I feel surrounding me all the time," She paused, letting the tears fall silently, " I want to die. I'm just waiting for it, even though I know it's going to hurt worse than anything I've ever felt."

Bran sighed, putting his face in her hair, and letting the tears fall, "I've got you, Caelie."

"No, Bran, you don't. I came here to die peacefully, and I'm not even going to get that. He's going to get what he wants in the end, and what do I get Bran? He won, he fucking won." Caelie coughed hard, "He took the one thing away from me that I never thought he would, and he took those I considered family." Bran shook his head.

"No, he's not going to take that from you," Bran pulled her face up to meet his, "I promise you, Caelie, he is not taking us from you. We will always love you." Caelie shook her head.

"How can you love someone like me?" She mumbled, as she put her face in to his thigh.

"As easily as you loved someone like me," Bran whispered, after he watched her fall asleep on the bathroom floor, blood and puke surrounding the girl. " As easily as you came back the moment I needed you." Bran held her through the night, his face in her hair as he cried.

Bran woke to doors slamming, and Caelie's head being roughly removed from his leg. Bran jerked his eyes open to see Caelie being dragged out of the bathroom by Leah, screaming and thrashing, as Leah kept her grip on her hair. Jumping up, he barely caught sight of her being dragged out of the room, the screams becoming more distant, as he took off after the two. Making it past the kitchen, and living room to the door, he watched as Leah dragged her to the edge of the forest, tossing her in to one of the many trees. Caelie's head cracked against the tree, as Bran made it to just behind Leah, watching as she slid down the tree in to a broke puddle on the ground.

"CAELIE!" Bran screamed, pushing Leah out of the way, and falling to his knees beside the broken woman.

"They're coming," Leah said coldly, as she started to walk away from the two. Bran snapped his head back to look at her, only to see the back of his mate.

"Whose coming?" Leah snorted, as she started to walk away.

"Leah, who is coming?" Bran snapped, as he ran his hands over the pale girls whitened face. She was breathing, though very choppily, and she was not conscious, from what Bran could tell. Leah openly laughed, jerkily turning to face him.

"Are you asking as my mate or my alpha?" Bran growled, as she shook her head, " Her pack. Her pack is coming back for her today. I got the call while you were," Leah snorted, " Helping her in the bathroom. She's going home today, and I want her out of my house, now!"

Leah turned and stomped off, leaving Bran staring at her back, as he knelt next to Caelie, hand on her stomach, rubbing circles gently.

"It'll be ok, Caelie. You'll be ok," Bran whispered, and he stood up. Taking her in his arms he walked over to the truck in the driveway, putting her in to the truck gently, before climbing in on the drivers side.

The drive was quiet, only broken up by Caelies choppy breathing, and the occasional mumble to her that it would be alright, even though she still hadn't woke up by the time he made it to Charles house. Leaving her in the car, he ran up to the house, banging on the door frantically, barely hitting Charles in the face when he answered with a sour look on his face.

"What-" Charles stopped, looking at his fathers abnormally pale face before cussing under his breath.

"Caelie is in the car, injured. Leah threw her against a tree, and Caelie was already sick all night. Her pack is coming here to pick her up, and she needs help," Bran stated, his face gone abnormally blank, as Charles grabbed his father by the arm, dragging him to the car.

Yanking the door open, Charles took Caelie in his arms, lightly kissing her head, as he walked through the door way to his own house.

"Dad, grab that blanket," Charles laid her on the sofa, "Go get the medical kit, and a bowl of hot water. Lets try to get some of this dirt off her before Sam gets here." Charles watched as his dad took off to find the stuff. Leaning over, he rubbed the sleeping girls face.

"I'm sorry, Caelie, I'm so sorry." Charles pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. " Hey, Sam, Caelie's hurt. Badly. Get over here."

Charles hung up, looking the woman over once more, before shaking his head, " He loves you, Caelie. He loves you, and I hope this doesn't break him."

CAELIE awoke to a darkened room, yelling and screaming could be heard from the other room. She grimaced, as she attempted to sit up, lightly rubbing her head where she hit the tree. Groaning, the knot on her head throbbed, even as she removed her hand from the area.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT MY FATHER SAYS! YOU'RE TO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Caelie looked at the door, just realizing the lack of recognition of the surroundings. Blinking, Caelie stayed in the center of the bed, holding as still as possible, even as the door burst open.

He was huge, at least a good six foot, and 300 pounds on him. His eyes were amber, and the rage reflected in what Caelie normally saw as black depths. Caelie flinched, taking off from the bed, toward the window, even as he grabbed her arm with his huge arms. His short blonde hair reflected in the light, as he yanked her off the bed, and in to his arms, even as she flailed and screamed, flashbacks, and future visions filling her sight.

"And there's my pretty pet," his gravelly voice whispered in her ear, as her screams stopped, but the whimpering increased. " And a bad little doggy you've been, haven't you?" Caelie shook her head, even as the whimpers started to turn in to screams again. " Killing those humans that you swore to protect. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Caelie held back another scream, as she was forced to once again face him.

He held her arms to her side, as the alpha came up behind him, laying the old silver chain around her next, ignoring her whimpering pleas. She held back a scream, even as they yanked on the chain, shoving the silver in to her neck.

"Now, you're gonna walk out of her like a good girl, and walk out of the door. Once out of the door, you'll get in the car, and sit there, like the nice little lady that I trained you to be. There are no if, ands or buts about it, understood?" Caelie nodded her head lightly, trying to avoid the metal touching her neck as much as possible. A smile appeared on her mates face, and let go of one arm, keeping a tight grip on the one he kept, as they began to walk out the room.

Charles stared at the group from his spot on the floor, blood creating a puddle as it gushed out of his stomach. He should have known better than to try to take down two wolves by himself, since Anna was out with Bran. He hadn't known that they would find her here, or that they would attack without any provocation. And here he was, unable to do anything to prevent her from being taken out. Caelie glanced at him, giving him a small smile, before turning and looking at the closed door that she would be forced out of.

"STOP!" The snarl echoed throughout the room, along with a chill that went down the spines of everyone in the room. Charles looked over to see the once closed door, open, and Bran standing in the middle of the doorway, arms crossed, and body fulling blocking the door. All eyes were on him, as he glanced over at Charles, then at the men, and his eyes finally landing on Caelie.

"What is this?" Bran asked in a cold voice, one not normally brought out, as he attempted to keep his calm.

"We came to claim our packmate," The Alpha stepped toward Bran standing in front of Caelie, blocking her from Bran's sight.

"Did you not feel the need to meet with the alpha?" Caelie's arm went numb as her mate tightened his grip. This was going to be a long night.

"Your alpha bitch gave us permission to do whatever was necessary to take her-" He pointed at Caelie, who shot him a blank look, "out of here." Bran shook his head lightly, his eyes never taken off the man in front of him.

"What claim do you have on her?" The alpha smiled, pointing at the man holding Caelie.

"John, here, is her mate," Caelie closed her eyes, as Bran eyed the man holding her.

"As Marrok, I have the option of over ruling that," Bran said quietly, "If one or more of the members are not willing within the relationship." Caelie's eyes shot open, staring at the man who stared right back. The alpha turned and faced her, giving her a look as she felt the defeat fill her. No, she would finish what she started.

"Were both of you willing?" John nodded, as Caelie closed her eyes.

"Yes, Phil, we were willing," Caelie said quietly, ignoring the sharp intake of breath that she heard Charles give.

"Well, then it's settled. We have every right to take her home," Phil stated turning to face Bran. Bran nodded, unblocking the door.

"We ask that you stay here for the night, and that any punishment for her disobedience be sentenced here, as to make sure that there are no confusions." Charles shook his head. He may have said ask, but he had and undertone of command. They would not be leaving for the night.

"We would ask that you allow us to get home. John is my second- in- command, and he wanted to be the one to pick up his mate, something that which I felt no need to deny." Phil smiled at Bran, ignoring the raised eyebrow that he was met with, " We can sentence Caelie now, if that would be best."

Caelie felt herself shake, holding back the whimper that was waiting to emerge. It would only be a matter of time. He'd same some soft punishment, get her home, and kill her. It was the way he was.

"No, I believe that we should wait until tomorrow. It is evident that your young man here is evidently upset with his mate, and we wouldn't want any accidents to happen, now would we?" Bran stated, his voice calm, so calm.

"Well, then," Phil looked over at Caelie, eyes narrowed in anger, " Lead the way."


	5. Out of Time, So Say Goodbye

Chapter Five- Out of Time, So Say Goodbye

Caelie felt the grip on her arm throw her in to the cabin room that Bran had allowed them to have. Her stomach flew in to the bedpost, jerking what little bit of air she had in her lungs out, and removing her ability to breath. Black spots engulfed her eyes, as the pain seared through her. Her eyes closed, as she hit the floor with a loud thump.

She heard the yelling, as the next hit came, though there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She kept her eyes closed, trying to think of anything other than the pain that was engulfing her body. Images of Bran, one's from her first visit, filled her mind. His smile at her as shook her hand, the stupid sarcastic greeting he gave her, as a devilish look came on his face. Charles, as a little boy, walking up to her, a look of deep embedded sorrow filling his eyes. The smile he gave her as she dance with him around the woods.

She felt her ribs finally snap under the pressure of the kicks, sliding home in to a portion of her lungs. She gasped for breath, never allowing her eyes to open. Bran and her disagreeing over the dinner, ending on a coin toss by Charles, who laughed the whole time. Caelie finally saying goodbye, as she had to go find another pack. Coming back to find a teenage Charles, and a grinning Bran. Charles telling her that she was his favorite, and that she needed to come home more often. Bran shaking his head, but never denying it.

Another rib broke, just barely missing her liver, as she held back another scream. Bran sneaking in her room to talk to her about anything. The silent moments with him on the porch, as he helped her out of her pack-less situation. The devilish smile he'd give her before leaving her with the kids. Running, running with him in the forest, sharing the feel of the forest with him. Waking in the morning to find him sitting in front of her, smiling. Leaving her clothes with him for the next mistake that she would make.

He missed her ribs, and hit her on the hip bone and cracking it, as she no longer could hold back the screams, no matter how muffled they were. Bran making breakfast for her, holding her through the night, even as she screamed her nightmares. Knowing that she was putting his family in danger, yet keeping her, and trying to protect her. Petting her head as she puked her guts out, fighting for her, when there was no reason to fight. Giving her everything she needed no matter the challenge.

He cracked another rib, causing it to collapse around the heart area, as she felt the darkness that filled her eyelids become more than just them being closed. As the unconscious feeling surrounded her, she allowed the thoughts to flow through her head. The possibilities of what could have been filled her, as the pain overwhelmed her one too many times.

I'm doing the right thing. I'm saving him. She thought as the true darkness finally filled her, leaving her limp, and unresponsive to the abuse that went on all night long.

BRAN sat in his lounge, a cup of hot chocolate in his hand as he swirled it around. The sun was just rising in the distance, or that's what his window told him. Leah had come in through the night, attempting to get him in to bed, but he couldn't get her off his mind. Images of what they were doing to her tormented him, filled him with something that even anguish couldn't match.

The knock on the door brought him out of his gloomy thoughts, to the present, where Leah stood, blocking the children he had watched grow up from coming in. Sam stood his body rigged, the tenseness of the situation filling him. Mercy in the middle, face carrying the battle-ready look it has when she has something to fight for. And Charles, standing straight, though the wounds on his chest couldn't have fully healed. The look of absolute coldness filled his face, though the pain echoed in his eyes.

"Bran is unable to take visitors yet," Leah said, abnormally cheery in the circumstances that filled the room.

"We need to see Bran," Mercy said, a bite to her voice telling the dislike that she held toward Leah.

"Let them in, Leah," Bran said, sitting his hot chocolate down, and walking toward the door. Leah shot him a look of anger, even as Bran shook his head at her. Moving out the way, she kept her eyes on him, pain, anger, and hatred filling them, as she played hostess.

"Dad, there has to be something we can do," Charles said, his voice cracking under the pressure. Bran shook his head, picking up his cup, and walking toward the kitchen.

"Where are your mates?" Bran asked quietly, as a defeated look came on their faces. "My advice is to go to your mates, get comfort, and get a little bit of sleep before they meet us at noon. Charges will be brought against her then, along with the punishment if I get my way, but there is nothing we can do to save her from this." Mercy's mouth opened, an argument prepared, but Bran held up his hand.

"Can't you hold them to something for attacking Charles?" Sam snapped out, causing a sigh from Bran.

"I can, but nothing serious enough to help Caelie. I'm sorry guys." Charles shook his head, what looked like tears still stuck in his eyes.

"Can we at least say goodbye?" Charles asked quietly, as Bran felt his own set of tears fill his eyes.

"I don't they could prevent you from doing it." Bran said, as he sat his cup in the sink. " I won't allow them to."

Bran stared at the cup in the sink, pain filling his chest, as his inner wolf howled. Yeah, it was going to be one of those days.

CAELIE felt herself being pulled from the darkness, no matter how hard she fought to get away from the pain. She hurt everywhere, and it hurt even worse to breath. Someone shook her roughly on the shoulder, causing her to look over to find John staring at her, a sickening grin on his face.

"Time to get up sunshine. Your sentencing awaits." Caelie attempted to sit up, only to be met with indescribable pain, leaving her stuck laying on the bed. She glanced at John, whose back was turned long enough to find his wallet. She felt the tears softly fall on her face as she finally sat up, pulling herself to her feet, and sliding on the clothes that they had laid on the bed for her. She stood at the foot of the bed, staring at it, even as she felt John come up behind her.

"It'll be all over soon baby," he whispered, as he grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the room, and to her death.

BRAN stood in the field where they agreed to meet, Mercy and Adam behind him as Charles, Sam and Anna offered to make sure they got here. Bran watched as the two cars pulled up right next to each other, the first one revealing Sam, Anna, and Charles. Bran held his breath as Charles face held the look of murder, something so rarely seen on that sons face.

It wasn't until they let Caelie out the car that he realized why. She was pale, so pale, with the contrasting bruises on her body. She was limping towards her alpha, every step taking the little bit of breath that she had out of her rattling lungs. She wouldn't meet their faces, breaking every little bit of Bran's heart as he realized that she would never know how much she mattered. She fell to her knees at her alpha's feet.

"Caelie Jones, you are accused of purposefully attacking and killing two humans, along with attacking your alpha, and beta." Caelie nodded her head, as the alpha looked over at Bran. Bran nodded his confirmation.

"As your alpha, I sentence you to death, as permitted by the marrok." Again Bran nodded, a deep seeded detachment from the situation filling him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Anna grasp Charles hand, rubbing circles in an attempt to calm him.

"I request of the alpha that the punishment be served here, right now, instead of forcing her to wait it out, and possibly risk her escaping again." Bran felt something inside him break as he said the words. The nod from the alpha encouraged him to continue, " There are, also, members of my pack that would appreciate the ability to say goodbye." Again, a nod.

Bran watched, as Charles calmly walked over to Caelie's bent head, lifting it to meet his eyes. She smiled at him, allowing to gently pull her in to a hug. Charles whispered something to Caelie, and she lightly pushed him away, whispering something back. Charles stood, his face fighting back the tears that were so ready to fall.

Sam was next, giving her a gentle hug as she petted his head softly. Then Mercy, who got a kiss on the cheek.

Bran walked over to her, falling to his knees in front of her, and met her eyes. He flashed back to the last conversation they had. Caelie cried silently, as he wiped away one tear drop at a time. She smiled as best as she could at him.

"It's for the best," she whispered, as Bran fought back his own tears.

"I should have never let you do this," Bran mumbled low enough for her ears.

"Bran, he's just putting me out of my misery. I'm really hurt anyway, he's just doing me a favor at this point," She lightly wheezed at him. Bran cringed. "Just make sure everyone remembers. Remembers all that I fought for, please."

"No one's going to forget you. I promise, Caelie, I wont let anyone forget you. I won't forget you," Bran whispered as he took her in to his arms, rocking her back and forth. He felt the shifted bones, could finally hear the lack of a lung, and the gasps of pain she tried to hide. " We love you."

"Good bye, Bran." She whispered, as she finally pushed him away. Bran got back to his feet, walking away from the scene, never noticing the tear stains falling down his own cheeks.

Phil stood in front of her, taking her head in both hands. Caelie closed her eyes, as she felt his hands tighten, before jerking harshly, and the cracks of her neck fell on deaf ears. Blackness surrounded her, as she finally lost all ability to breath. All thoughts fell from her mind.

"WAIT!" Adam yelled from across the way, startling everyone. Phil dropped Caelie, neck partially broken, but not broken enough to kill her. Not with her being a wolf.

Bran turned to him, an expect look on his face.

"As alpha to another pack, I would like to press charges against the Southern California pack for attacking, and attempting to murder my daughter. As of this minute, Caelie Jones is under my protection for providing forewarning in the event of the attack, and has full asylum until further notice." Bran blinked, as Mercy and Sam ran over to Caelie. Phil turned, growling at Adam. Adam growled back, battle-ready when Phil attacks him. Bran jumps in the middle, pushing Adam away, when Phil turned to him. Bran dodge several swings, before hitting the guy in the throat, taking him to his knees. Phil pulled a knife from his belt, as Bran took his head and snapped his neck fully, dropping him dead at his feet.

Bran looked over to see Charles do the same to John, leaving his dead body where he dropped it in favor of the frantic man beside Caelie. Sam had accomplished setting her neck straight, and was doing chest compression when Bran got over to him.

"Damn it, Caelie, breath honey!" Sam snapped, as he stopped to see and unmoving chest. Sam ran his hand down her neck again, " Her chest is rising during compressions, which means that her Pharynx, Larynx, and her trachea are all still working." Sam felt down her chest, landing on where one of the ribs was indented too far for comfort. " Punctured lung, has to be. We need to get her to the house. My medical equipment is there."

It didn't take as long as it felt to get her to the house and in to one of the rooms that Sam had set up for these types of moments. Even though it felt like a lifetime to Bran, who couldn't help but replay the goodbye scene in his head multiple times.

He sat in the living room of Sam's house, counting the seconds that passed, as he tried to ignore the shouts from the room. Mercy sat across from him, phone in hand as she kept in contact her pack, who had taken their own injuries. Adam had headed back to check on everyone, leaving Mercy on the promise that he would be back to check on Caelie anyway.

Bran continued to count the seconds, counting himself in a deep sleep that he hadn't had in a couple days.

BRAN was jerked awake by the light whispering coming from across him. He kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep as he narrowed in on Sam's voice.

"She's on a respirator. Her heart is beating, but has a habit of missing a beat everyonce in a while. I was forced to do surgery on her ribs, and attempt a repair on her lung. There was some spinal cord damage, but I was unable to tell if it would affect her walking. We just have to wait and see when she wakes up." A soft sigh was emmited. " If she wakes up, I lost her a couple times. She's not fighting to live, you can just tell. I'll be surprised if she makes it through the night. I'll be a fucking happy doctor if she makes it out a week."

"Why a week?" Mercy asked.

"Thats how long it'll take for her lungs to finish healing. Thats where the most damage is. If she makes it a week, her chances of living improve. If she makes it two, her chances of living and walking improve." There was silence. " Whose going to tell dad?"

"He's sleeping right now. Let him sleep. I'll tell him when he wakes up," Charles said in an abnormally soft voice.

"He already knows," Bran stated, breaking the pretenses that he was asleep. He opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him from the hallway.

"Can I see her?" Sam nodded his head, as Bran got his feet.

"It'd be for the best, maybe." Bran walked toward the her room, tuning out the conversation going on in the living room. The sounds of her beeping machines filled his ears as he entered the room.

She was in the middle of the bed, on her back. Her neck brace glowed in the darkened room, a reminder to Bran of what he almost allowed to happen. The blanket came up covering her body, almost in accordance to how they cover bodies at crime scenes. She was pale, so pale.

Bran felt the tears slide down his cheek, as he took the seat next to her. Pulling an arm up from under the covers, he held her hand, laying it on his cheek, even as the tears poured out. He sat there all night, holding on to her.


	6. Stuck in Colder Weather

Chapter Six- Stuck in Colder Weather Day One She survived the night, but showed no signs of healing. Bran stayed by her side, even though Sam tried to convince him to leave. He didn't move. Day Two She made it another night, and showed some signs, not a lot of healing. Bran left long enough to cook, and eat after Sam tried to feed him something that wasn't normal looking. Bran was completely grossed out, and refused to eat anything he didn't fix after that. That meant leaving her side. Day Three Sam is in amazement. She's healing a lot faster now, and her internal injuries are showing signs of being almost completely healed. He was able to removed the breathing tube, though she hasn't woken up. Bran still sits by her side, even when Leah comes in. Some faith is restored, she just might make it the week. Day Four Her throat is completely healed, so now they are waiting on her to wake up. Sam thinks the improvements are a wonderful sign that she just might make it. They still haven't been able to find out if she'll walk, or not, but that looks like it might happen. Bran is no longer sitting next to her, but laying next to her, supposedly because the touch of wolves will help. Thing is, he won't let anyone else near her, not even Leah. Day Five She opened her eyes! She wasn't responding very well, but she opened her eyes. Bran was beyond ecstatic, almost crying at the sight of her wake. Sam predicts that she'll be awake and moving in the next week or two. Bran didn't see Leah at all, but that didn't matter, Caelie woke up! A Week Later Bran sat by her bed, even as she sipped the soup. She was fully awake, and moving her upper body with no problems. Walking, though, was a different story. Those nerves were taking a little longer to heal than they though, but she had feeling, and she had legs. They would heal. "How long are you staying?" Caelie asked, her voice a little raspier than it had originally been, but Sam had said that would take the longest to heal with everything her body had gone through. Bran shifted in his seat, staring at the woman he had watched almost die in front of him. "Not long," He looked out the window, where it was snowing heavily, " Leah's cooking dinner, and inviting everyone over in a couple of hours. I have to help get things cleaned." Caelie nodded, a slight smile resting on her lips. " Whats so funny?" "You cleaning, I never thought I'd see the day." Bran snorted, shaking his head lightly. "It happens. So, how are the nightmares?" Caelie's smile dissipated, and eye dulled. "They're still there, and stronger than ever, but he's gone, their gone, and they can't hurt me anymore. Time will heal the rest, as always, Bran." Bran nodded, closing his eyes. "Sometimes time makes it worse than what it originally was," Bran eyed the tiny girl, taking in her protruding ribs, and sunken face, " Promise me that if it gets to be too much, you'll find someone. Me, Charles, Sam, Mercy, somebody, but don't let us have saved you for nothing." Caelie looked him in the eye, sighing softly, " I promise." She glanced at the clock, before looking back at him, " Don't you need to get going?" Bran sighed, before nodding lightly, and standing. She watched as he walked out the door, listening for the click that would signal that he had left the house. It wasn't long before she heard the door open once again, before the huffing and puffing that came with Mercy after having to deal with a bout of Miss Leah. "Caelie?" Mercy called out to the back, as she stomped her way to where Caelie was laying. Caelie snickered as the evident agitation that Mercy was feeling came through. That was never a good thing. "I'm here," She called out, her voice cracking under the pressure. The door slid open, revealing the girl, still huffing and puffing, but not as noticable now. "How ya feeling?" She asked as she plopped down on the side of the bed, next to Caelie's legs. Caelie blinked and shrugged. "Ready to get the fuck out of here, no joke," Mercy nodded, fiddling with the blanket. " So how was the meeting with Leah?" Mercy tutted, before exhaling a long sigh. "Crappy," Mercy said, before smiling at her, " So, Sam said that you were well enough to come to the party thingy at Bran's." Caelie shrugged, before rolling her eyes. "Leah won't want me there, so it doesn't matter." Mercy laughed loudly, before turning to her and getting a viscious smile on her face. "I invited you, as my guest, because Adam's not here, you know?" Caelie frowned. "When did Adam leave?" Mercy snickered evilly. "Tonight!" Caelie rolled her eyes, even as Mercy started laughing hysterically. "Your not kicking your husband out, so that I can go to a party that I'm not wanted at. Besides, who put you up to this?" Caelie's eye brow raised, raising it even further when Mercy gave an innocent smile. "No one put me up to it," Mercy shrugged, " Adam said that he had some stuff that he needed to do at home, and he wouldn't be home for another couple days. I don't want to face the pack by myself, and Charles told me that you weren't invited, so I thought that you would be awesome if you came with me!" Caelie sighed. She hadn't had any real contact with anyone other than Bran, Sam, Mercy, Charles and Adam since she woke up. Her mood had not improved from weary since she woke up, and maybe getting back out in to the crowd would help with that. "Alright, I'll go with you, but you can't tell Bran I'm coming," Mercy smiled, walking over to one of the dressers, and pulling out a a sunny yellow dress. Caelie cringed, shaking her head. That dirt bastard was dead, she was going back to how she was. "There's a pair of jeans in the closet, along with a t-shirt that has a a playboy bunny with the numbers eighty-eight on the front and back. It's blue, and very sparkly." Caelie said, watching as Mercy searched through the closet for the shirt in question. Mercy pulled it out, whistling at the new shirt that Anna had brought in. Caelie giggled, as Mercy fingered the man-made holes. "Trying to prove a point?" Mercy asked, as Caelie swung her legs from the bed. While sitting down, she slid the jeans up to about mid-thigh. She stood, sliding it up over he butt, before flopping back on the bed, and buttoning it. Mercy watched, handing her the shirt. Caelie slid it on, straightening the shirt to make her look more muscular, than just skinny. Caelie smiled at Mercy, as she rolled her wheelchair over to her. "Yeah, I'm trying to prove a point. That man is not going to keep me down, especially since he's not here anymore," Caelie paused, a thoughtful look gracing her face, "Yeah, I might have a couple moments when it will feel like too much, and it might be a while be a while before I will ever feel like what I used to, but that's what time is for. I have a whole lot of it left. So, what I'm going to do is take this moment that I have with people who care, old friends, and new, and be happy. After so long, I think I've earned it." Mercy hugged her, tears lightly in her eyes. Caelie rubbed her back, her own tears lightly falling down her cheeks. Mercy stood back up, taking the handles on the wheelchair and wheeling Caelie out the door. Caelie rested her hands in her lap, staring at them, as Mercy took her out the room, in to the hall, and to the living room. Stopping in front of the door, Mercy opened the door, before taking her position behind Caelie again. They were on their way. Bran stood next to the island in the kitchen, staring off in to space. The party that Leah wanted raged around them, his thoughts focused on the woman stuck at Sam's house. Feeling's he hadn't felt since Charles mother filling him with doubt. Leah was his mate, and would be until one of them died. So, why did his wolf back away from Leah anymore? Bran sighed, turning as he heard the door open once again. Time to go greet another pack mate with Leah. "We're here!" He heard Caelie call out, causing him to jog to the door. He felt tears fill his eyes at the sight. Caelie sat in the chair, her hair pulled in to a ponytail, draping across her shoulder. Her jeans were a tight fit, but matched the tight shirt that she wore. The rips in her shirt showing the abs that she had naturally been blessed with. A smile was crossing her face, as she spotted him. She was still thin, but after eating three meals a day, and enough werewolf healing, she didn't look gaunt anymore. "Caelie!" Bran heard Charles call out, laughing and smiling as he reached her, kissing her cheek. Caelie smiled at him, as Anna came over, holding out her hand for a handshake, only to be pulled in to a hug. Caelie whispered something in to her ears, causing Anna to laugh. Bran felt his heart skip a beat, as she looked his way. Her eyes glittered in ways he hadn't seen in a while, leaving his heart pitter-pattering like a love sick fool. "Well, are you and Leah going to come say hello?" Caelie asked, rolling her eyes, and snickering. He smelled Leah walk up beside him, taking a tight grip on his arm, as the rage rolled off of her in waves. Bran put his hand on her lower back in comfort, though he was trying to keep his wolf from rolling around like a puppy. The whimper of excitement that wanted to come out was met with the cold reason that Leah was still his mate. She was happily his mate. "Caelie, it's wonderful to see you out of bed," Leah said tersely, as Caelie smirked, "We were not expecting you to have such a fast recovery. I thought Sam had banned you to the bed for another week, though we are glad to see you here." Caelie rolled her eyes at the niceties being played in front of her. It's been a while since she had to play the niceties that came with some of the bull shit in werewolf politics. "I was shocked to get the report that I would be allowed to leave the bed! After much pleading, Mercy was able to convince me to join her this evening for this wonderful party. I am very glad I was invited to such an extravagant event." Caelie waved her hand at the nice party dress that Leah wore. Mercy snickered behind her, as the rest of the pack took in the greeting. Bran in his nice dress pants, and elegant sweater, with Leah and her beautiful dress, to Caelie's ripped shirt, and jeans, and Mercy's grease ridden t-shirt, and jeans. The difference was a sight to be seen. "I'm sure that Adam was upset to miss it," Leah said, her voice as sweet as poison. Caelie smiled up at Mercy. "He sends his regrets, there was some problems within the pack that needed to be settled. He'll be back in a couple days, but I didn't want to attend alone. I thought it would be a wonderful surprise for Bran and his sons to see Caelie out and about." Mercy shrugged, as Sam moved toward them, a smile plastered on his face. "I see you got my diagnoses," Sam called out laughingly, as the pack laughed along with him. "Yes, though more warning would be greatly appreciated next time, but the benefits were worth it," Caelie smiled at Bran, who smiled back. Leah glanced between the two before a scowl fell on to her face. "I think it would be best to get back to the party. Thank you for making it Mercy," Leah said, turning with Bran on her arm. Caelie raised an eyebrow at Leah's back, before looking at Anna. "Are you hungry?" Anna asked a genuine smile on her face. Caelie started to shake her head, when Mercy walked over to her wheelchair and rolled her toward the kitchen. Caelie glared at her over her shoulder, though not saying anything, as Mercy smirked. "I guess she is," Charles stated, his voice it's normal blank slate. Sam snickered from behind them, as Mercy rolled Caelie to the island. Caelie stood using her arms to help her slide on the stool. Sam walked over to the other side of the island, watching as Caelie adjusted herself on to the stool. "You should be gaining back full use of your legs soon," Sam commented, as Caelie leaned on the table like item. "Really?" She said happily, her face lighting up in ways that the group hadn't seen. Charles looked over at Anna who was smiling at Caelie. "Really! That means you'll be driving us crazy again here soon," Sam stated, as Caelie got a frown on her face, "Good crazy Caelie. We missed you here!" Caelie nodded. Charles walked over to her and hugged her, causing many of the pack members to glance over. Caelie rolled her eyes, before trying to push him away, only to succeed in getting a tighter hug. She sighed dramatically, and hugged him back. "We love your craziness, Caelie. It brings life to this dull place," Charles whispered in her ear. Caelie nodded, a tear in her eye. "And your not allowed to go anywhere!" Anne called out, "God knows Mercy only visits so often, and we need another smart ass in the pack!" Caelie laughed loudly, allowing herself to fall in to jokes and conversation of the family she longed to belong to. Bran sat in the living room, his arm wrapped around Leah. The conversation buzzed around him as he glanced back at the group in the kitchen. The laughter could be heard through the house, the joy of them permeating the air with a layer of happiness that most couldn't avoid. Bran looked at Caelie, who looked like she was truly enjoying herself, her body more relaxed than it had been since she got there. She was telling some type of story, with her arms waving in the air as she tried to demonstrate something. Charles was shaking his head, and denying what ever story it was, but it was causing everyone else to laugh. Bran felt himself chuckle, even though he had not idea what they were talking about. "So what do you think baby?" Leah asked, smiling at him, though her eyes were cold. Bran blinked, trying to remember what they were talking about. "Can you please repeat, love? I was lost in my thoughts once again," Bran asked softly, as Leah attempted to hide the anger that was surging through her. "A spring renewal of vows," Leah said flippantly, as Bran nodded. "I think it would be wonderful, love," Bran smiled down at her, as Leah's smile grew wider, as he tried to put as much sincerity in to it as possible. "Well, that would be wonderful!" One of the women that Leah hung out with stated, as she looked between the two, " Something to remind us the bond you two carry! It will be beautiful in the spring! Whose going to best man, and maid of honor?" "I was thinking Sam was best man," Leah stated, as Bran cringed. "Sam was best man last time. I think Charles would be best man, and that way Anna can be maid of honor," Bran smiled at the women, as Leah raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking of Jenna as maid of honor," Leah glanced over at the bubbly woman across from them, "We have a couple months to figure it out, as it is. It's evident that we still have some kinks to work out. "Well, thats wonderful hun! We can't wait!" Leah went on to another conversation as Bran glanced over at the group once again. Caelie was leaning forward, looking at something Sam was drawing, before covering her mouth, and gasping. Sam laughed at her reaction, before patting her on the back, as she pretended to gag. Charles walked over with a plate of chips and dip, sticking it in front of the small girl, for her to pretend that wasn't inhaling them. "Oh, would you look at the time!" Leah gasped out, causing Bran to notice that it was almost ten in the evening. "We should start getting ready to shut everything down." Bran nodded, as he stood. Leah gave her thank you's, and glad-you-made-it speeches, as Bran stood by her side. Slowly, everyone left, leaving only his sons, Anna, Caelie, and Mercy, who were trying to help clean up. Bran walked in as Sam sat another set of food on her lap for her to roll to the fridge and have Mercy put up. Caelie smiled as she rolled back to Sam, who put another bit of food on her lap. She rolled back to Mercy, allowing the woman to put it in the fridge. Bran felt Leah come up behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, as he watched Caelie roll back and forth. "So, how did you enjoy your evening?" Bran asked, as Leah snuggled her face in to his back. Caelie looked up at him, a flash of something in her eyes, before they settled on the natural regret they had been in lately. "It was wonderful, Bran," Anna spoke up, as she put the chips in the cabinet, "We had a wonderful time." Bran glanced over at Caelie, who smiled widely, but it never reached her eyes. "Everyone was nice, and it was wonderful, Bran," Caelie rolled one last time to Mercy, who smiled evilly at Caelie. "Nice enough that you'll stay with the pack?" Bran asked, as Caelie stopped in front of the trash can. "Well, from the way your sons were talking, I'm never allowed to leave, and if I try, things will get ugly for me," Caelie tied the bag up on the trash, before turning to Bran, "So, yes, I'll be staying." Bran heard the light growl from Leah, as she buried her face further in to his back. Her hands scraped across his chest, as she lightly ground against his back. Caelie raised an eyebrow, as she glanced at Mercy. "Well, I guess it's getting late, we need to head out!" Mercy said, grabbing the handles on Caelie's wheelchair, rolling her out the room without a goodbye, or a single word of depature, with Sam, Anna, and Charles following behind. Mercy rolled her to the car, before stopping, and opening the door, tossing the cripple in to the car, before jumping in on her side. Caelie glanced over at the girl with a frown on her face, and a huff. Mercy glanced over at her, before starting the car, and pulling out the drive-way. "Bran has been with Leah for a long time," Mercy said a minute in to what was a silent drive. "I know," Caelie said, looking out the window. "That doesn't mean thats his mate," Mercy said softly, as she pulled in to Sams driveway. Caelie looked over Mercy. "What do you mean?" She snapped, as Mercy stopped the car. "I mean that as much as Leah wants to be his mate, she's not!" Mercy slammed her hands against the steering wheel, "Everything happens for a reason. Bran cares for you, and I know deep down, he loves you, but he won't let himself go, and you won't fight for him because you both have in your head that Leah's his mate, and she's not! "She wants to be, but she doesn't have that bond with him, and that's why they're both unhappy. Sometimes fate gives you your mate, instead of forcing you to find one, and thats this situation, but Bran is so fucking stubborn!" Caelie sighed. "Mercy," She started only to get a hand. "No, watch him. Stop looking at the man, and pay attention the wolf that lies underneath. That will tell you everything that you need to know, damn it! We can all see it, now you need to, and fight for whats yours!" Caelie shook her head. "He'll never want me that way, Mercy. It's wishful thinking on my part." Caelie looked out the window, unbeknownst to her, Bran laid in bed, Leahs naked body pressed up against his in a gentle sleep, as he stared out a window at the moon, wishing she was Caelie.


	7. She Had Fire in Her Soul

**Chapter Seven- She had Fire in Her Soul**

Caelie glanced at the clock on the table before sighing. Today was the big day, or thats what everyone keeps telling her. She was going to officially be brought in to the pack tonight. It was her first run in wolf form with the rest of the group. Not so terrifying until you brought in the problems that had occurred in the last couple weeks.

Mercy went home, much to Caelie's disappointment, with promises of not only visiting, but bringing her down to meet her pack. Caelie was back up to walking, something took to his advantage and forced her to work out, something she hated to do. Admittedly, she had gained a lot more weight, and was getting very close to being back to her original weight, but since she's a woman, we wont tell. She hadn't heard from Bran since she got back to her healthy status, but saw him many times curled up to Leah when she was forced to go to the parties by Charles and Anna. To put it simply, Caelie was not a happy camper by the end of the night. Leah had gone back to her normal routine of ignoring anyone who wasn't in her little group, and snarling at anyone who dared to interfere in her spotlight. Caelie made sure to stay out of her spotlight.

But tonight was her night. She would shift with the group, and run wild, something she hadn't done in ages. She stretched happily in her bed, before swinging around, and dragging herself to the bathroom. After a nice bathroom break that removed not only her morning breath, but her morning bladder, she marched to the kitchen, where Sam sat with a cup of hot coffee.

"Good morning," Sam stated cheerfully, as Caelie gave him the happy finger while she stirred her own cup of coffee, "Well aren't you a ray of sunshine this morning?"

"Mmm, The best part of waking up," Caelie sang softly, "is coffee in your cup!"

Sam raised an eyebrow at Caelie's song, taking a sip of his own coffee. Caelie smirked, walking over to the chair opposite of Sam, and curling up in it.

"I had an addiction to the Folgers song for a long time, alright?" Caelie mumbled, taking a long drink of her own morning addiction.

"It's evident!" Sam snorted, sitting his cup on the table before leaning towards her, "So are you excited?"

"Excited about what? I've been changing in to a wolf for over 100 years, I think that I'd be used to it by now." Sam cocked his head to the side with a smile on his face.

"Yes, but this will be the first time that you will officially be apart of Bran's pack!" Caelie shrugged.

"It just means that after so many years Bran finally gave up trying to find a suitable pack for me. He'll get sick of me too," Caelie stretched happily in her chair, letting the several tense muscles in her body release. Sam glared openly at her, even with the impish grin that she gave him.

"Your so pessimistic!" Sam growled, as Caelie shrugged.

"A little pessimism never hurt anyone. It's helped me in the past," Caelie mumbled, taking another sip of her coffee.

"So what are you up to until tonight?" Sam asked, as she downed the rest of her coffee with a satisfied sigh.

"Anna is coming over and we are going clothes shopping. She mentioned something about me needing to feel feminine again. I haven't found a job yet, so I have no idea how I'm going to pay for this," Caelie walked over to the sink and rinsed the cup out.

"Don't worry about it," Sam mumbled, but loud enough for her to hear.

"What do you mean don't worry about it?" Caelie turned to him, hand on hip.

"Don't worry about it. I'm paying you to take care of my house while I'm gone," Sam gained the innocent smile that Caelie had abandoned.

"You're not paying me to live in your house!" Caelie snapped, as Sam raised an eyebrow.

"And where are you going to live? I've got to head back this week," Sam watched as Caelie looked away, "and you need the closeness of the pack more now than ever."

Caelie's face went blank, as she looked down. Sam watched her every movement, taking in the weary look that seemed to fill her a lot lately.

"I don't get what you mean, Sam," Caelie said softly, as Sam held a hand up.

"When were you going to tell anyone, Caelie?" Sam asked just as softly, as she sighed, dropped the cup that she had in her hand in to the sink. "That's why you're around Anna so much, right? Have you even told Charles, yet?"

"How did you find out?" Caelie glanced at the still man who stared at her.

"You never get angry anymore, and when you get grouchy, you leave. You avoid looking anyone in the eye, and god damn it Caelie, I found the note." Caelie's head shot up.

"You weren't supposed-"

"I know I wasn't supposed to. I know a lot about you I'm not supposed to. I know about the nightmares, and I know about the sleepless nights. I know about the torment that fills your eyes every time one of the males in the pack get too close, and the fact that even though you swear that your perfectly fine, your not." Sam went from whispering it, to yelling at her. "So, yes, I know that you no longer have control over your wolf. I, also, know that you weren't going to tell anyone about it. You were forcing Bran's hand with you."

Caelie stared at him, the tears quietly falling down her face as he continued, " Make him feel less guilty about not being able to save you, right? It was just something that neither of you can control, not the wolf, but you knew, and you aren't even trying to reconnect with the wolf."

"Sam-"

"No! There are no more excuses, Caelie. I think the worst part about this is that you probably would never hurt anyone. Your wolf is dominant, and so you fear it. Fear that it being dominant is what caused this whole mess in the first place. What were you going to do, Caelie, when you realize that your wouldn't attack anyone tonight? Were you going to allow yourself to take over to get the job done?" Sam was panting by the end of the sentence, staring at the wide-eyed girl.

"I-I-"

"You have too many damn people who care for you, one of which is my father, the other my brat of a brother. So, you're going to quit bitching and whininig, and get over yourself." Caelie's eyes were wide and the tear flowed heavily, still silently. Sam walked over, pulling the girl in to a hug, as she began to sob lightly.

"You're hurt, not broken. You're here, not there. You're loved, not hated. You're welcome, not dismissed. You're a fighter, not a quitter. You're a wolf, and you're not alone, never alone. If you're hurting, god damn it, say something. If you're having problems, let people know." Caelie nodded in to her sobs, as Sam rubbed circles in to her back. "You're a hell of a lot easier to talk to then Mercy." Caelie giggled in to his shirt, pulling back to wipe the tears away after a moment.

"Anna will be here soon, and you still need to jump in the shower.," Caelie nodded, pulling away from him, before she walked out of the kitchen and in to the bathroom, thoughts of the coming night darkening what was supposed to be a calming shower.

Anna arrived half an hour later, a huge grin on her face, and bags of clothes already in her hand. Caelie blinked repeatedly at her as she dragged the girl back to her room, and preceded to lay out dress after dress, all of which were Caelie's current size, and all of which would have given the pope a heart attack.

"So, I was shopping yesterday, and I couldn't help but see these, and think of you!" Anna grinned happily at Caelie, who grinned back automatically. The barely noticed tension vibrating underneath her skin, revealing to Anna the not so comfortable emotions that Caelie was holding back.

"This is awesome, Anna!" She said enthusiastically, running her hand down one of the sheer, and lace dresses that barely covered any of her assets, yet, barely revealed them either.

"Yeah, so now," Anna stopped and pulled out a piece of paper, scratching a line through something that Caelie couldn't see, "We need to get jeans, shirts, and undies! So many sexy undies!" Caelie blinked.

"What is with you and these sexy underwear spiels? The past couple of days that's all that you've been talking about!"Caelie watched as Anna turned three shades of red, even as the woman forcefully dragged her out of the room.

"I like sexy underwear. There is something about it that just... makes a woman feel good, you know?" Caelie shook her head. "Alright ,see, when a woman, any woman, is down, or not feeling sexy, or just not good enough, sexy underwear, and sexy clothing accents her appeal. The more appeal, the more looks from the guys, and that leads to a boost of ego, especially when a good guy takes notice. It makes the woman stride, instead of walk, and smile, instead of bitch. It just makes a woman feel good." Caelie blinked, as Anna opened the passenger side of the door and basically threw it her in the car.

"Whatever you say," She muttered to herself, as she watched Anna climb back in to the car.

"Besides, a little retail therapy just might do you some good. Being stuck in the house most of the time is not healthy, and after everything you've been through, you have got to get out the house," Anna continued, ignoring the blank look that Caelie gave her.

"I get out a lot!" Caelie stated, as she shook her head.

"Yeah, and Bran is just a little puppy, and Mercy isn't blunt, but just a little open about her feelings. Sure, honey." Caelie rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore that comment, but focus on the fact that Sam knew about tonight.

"SO, anyway, you are wearing one of those dresses to the pack dinner, tonight, right?" Anna asked, the calmness of her voice revealing the true intentions she withheld to Caelie.

"Anna, we are not getting in to this again. Bran wants nothing to do with me," She huffed, as she stared out the window.

"Of course he does!" Anna snapped. "That man looks at you like the sun shines right out of your ass, and in to his eyes. You do no wrong, and heaven forbid another of the pack mates decide that they want to mate you, because it ain't happening."

"Yeah, well, tell that to him. He's the one renewing his vows, and not talking to me. Hell, Anna, He won't even have a straight conversation with me anymore!" Anna shook her head dramatically.

"He's in self-denial right now. Give him some time to figure himself out, and realize that while he cares for Leah, his mate is you." Caelie shook her head.

"Aw, you done done it now! What did I tell you about saying the M word!" Anna laughed, as she stopped at a red light.

"Your name was not in the sentence, missy, so that doesn't count!" Anna stuck her tongue out at Caelie. Silence reigned for a minute as Caelie's thoughts took a darker turn than where they had once been. "You know, I've been where you are."

"Really?"

"That edge of not caring about life or death, walking the fine line between breaking on a moments notice, and wondering if I really wanted to fight it."

"How did you get out of it?"

"I met Charles, my prince saved me." Caelie looked over at Anna.

"I don't have a prince." Anna shook her head, and laughed.

"Are you sure about that?"Caelie looked back out the window, her thoughts now pondering over why Anna said what she did.

_**Alright, so Anna**_ _might have been right about the sexy underwear thing_ , Caelie couldn't help but think as she pranced around in her lacy bra, and barely there underwear from Victoria Secrets. The house was still empty, as Sam had already headed over to the house, leaving her to finish getting dressed for the party.

She slid in to the boots that Anna had practically forced her in to earlier, and basically held a gun to her head to purchase. The heels made her legs look longer, thinner, yet muscular, and her butt stuck out leaving nothing to the imagination. She sauntered over to the closet, pulling out the sheer dress that she had been looking at earlier. It was sexy, and it covered all of her assets to the best of it's ability, and she was wearing it. Slipping in to the sleeveless dress, she shifted, fell on the bed, and rolled around, shimmying to guarantee that nothing could be seen. After much fighting, she looked at herself in the mirror, lightly smiling as the woman who she once was seemed to make an appearance.

She sighed as the memories of what she once was, compared to who she was becoming clashed. The urge to cover up, and hide attempted to take over, leaving her confused, and stuck in between clashing emotions. She fell back on the bed, closing her eyes. She was seriously fucked up, and she knew it. Maybe it had been long enough since...

"CAELIE! We're here!" She got up off the bed, glancing once more in the more, before shaking her head. It was going to be a long night.


	8. Say Goodbye for the Last Time

Chapter Eight- Say Goodbye for the Last time

She ran. After the party had ended, leaving her frustrated by the lack of response from Bran, she needed to run. Thankfully, the full moon was high in the sky, and she had already worked out the sore kinks that had originally begun there. Yes, she was flying. Her body was spread out, her ears laid back, her eyes focused on nothing, not even the hunt that was right before her. Anna was beside her, not wanting to be alone when Charles was needed to help with the first hunt of many.

She didn't want to be where Bran was. Not after the way he ignored her all evening, not after the way he pretended she was never even there, talking to his sons several times while she sat in the seat waiting for him to say something as simple as a hello, but it never came. She was ignored by not only Bran, but an alpha wolf, and would once again be put down as nothing more than a nuisance. She knew it was only a matter of time now, no matter how much Anna tried to say otherwise. Caelie was finally slipping.

She stopped in enough time to watch as Anna jumped on the deer, taking it out in the hunt. She sat and watched, allowing herself to revel in her wolf. Her wolf so bruised and battered that it barely came out tonight. If a wolf could sigh, she did. She turned, and ran, attempting to get rid of what she knew was a babysitter. She was fine, or at least, fine enough to want a moment alone, and away from them.

She just ran, not really caring where she went, just wanting a run. She ran all the way to Sam's house, a place that was slowly becoming a haven for the tired wolf. She was so focused in on trying to get in the house that she never saw the other wolf stalking her in the shadows. She never saw the child not to close by. She never thought to think that the alpha female wanted her gone so bad that she would try to make her look crazy.

The hit came from the left side, and knocked her down. She felt her wolf automatically react, snapping at the attacker, and anything around her. She felt another bite to her neck, and yelped, attempting to get the person off of her. She flipped and snapped, unable to get a semblance of control in the situation. It wasn't until the person got off, shocking Caelie, causing her to turn, and attack, not really seeing where she was attacking. She was in mid jump when she realized that the child was in front of the wolf. She turned as best as she could, taking full force of the impact, knowing that she was going to hit the child.

They hit, Caelie rolling as best as she could off the child and the other wolf underneath her, without harming herself anymore. She went to go stand on her paw, only to drag herself away when she could no longer stand the pain anymore. Howls went up around her, even as she laid on the ground and closed her eyes. She could feel each member of the pack surrounding them, watching her with cold eyes. She felt Charles stand next to her, and nudge her, wanting her to open up, and look. She could feel Sam staring at her, attempting to determine whether she did this on purpose. She could feel as Bran entered what had quickly become a circle.

She opened her eyes to meet the hard stare of Brans, the once warm gaze, now staring back at her with a coldness that she had only seen him give hardened Criminals. She was one now, in his eyes. She had done the one thing that she had sworn she would never do. She harmed a child. Not only that, but she almost turned one. That was a huge crime. She just closed her eyes once again, and prayed for morning.

Bran walked in to the motel, and right in to the first room, the room reserved for harmed wolves, and dangerous wolves. He never thought that Caelie would get that bad, bad enough that she woulf actually harm a child, but it was evident that it had come. Leah had witnessed the whole thing, and had saved the child at the last minute. There was no other witness, there was no other option, and there was no argument to it. Caelie had gone rogue, and they had to fix the problem.

He looked at the woman lying naked on the bed, shivering as the cold penetrated the blankets that were over her. A pillow curled under her head as she buried her face into it. Tears filled his eyes as he stared at her, his wolf crying out in protest to the conversation that was coming, but unable to do anything about it. It was for the good of the pack.

"Caelie?" He whispered as she turned and met his gaze. Sorrowful eyes met his as she sighed, and sat up.

"What day?" She mumbled, leaving Bran flinching away.

"What do you mean?" Bran said, " I'm here to get your story."

"Bran, I'm not stupid, nor am I ignorant. I know that you're here to fix things. I know you are here to make me feel better about myself, and yourself by getting the "full story" only to have to choose whose right or wrong. Your pack thinks I was attempting to intentionally harm the child. While you may not fully believe it, You still have to do whats best for the pack. So what day am I dying?" She looked at him with cold eyes, eyes that he was not prepared for.

"I haven't decided yet," He stated, watching as she noded, and curled back up in to the ball.

"Well, when you have, let me know." Bran stared at Caelie with calculating eyes, taking in the blank expression that she had on her face.

"Caelie, I-"

"No, Bran, I get it. I'm not angry," A sad smile crossed her face, "I've hit that point in my life that it just might be time for me to-" She paused, looking down at her hands, " finish what should have been a long time ago."

"You're really getting melodramatic on me," Bran said, as Caelie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. There have been calls for your death, but there has been a contention point. Anna wants to evaluate your wolf." Caelie stared at him.

"You and I both know it's not going to work."

"It's just going to have to, now won't it?"


	9. And If you Can't Tell, I'm Scared As Hell

Chapter Nine- And if you can't tell, I'm scared as hell

Caelie stared at the ceiling, paying no mind to the sounds that echoed into the room from the outside. She wasn't allowed to have any visitors until Anna came to evaluate her. She hadn't seen anyone near the room in a couple of days. Actually, they last person she saw was Bran when he came to see her after the incident.  
She was tired. It was becoming evident that the fates were against her, and she was ready to quit. She was fully prepared to give in, and maybe, just maybe gain some peace. Not that she particularly wanted to die. No, that wasn't her intention at all. She wanted to live, but she was noticing that life was not working with her in this moment.  
Even as she stared at the ceiling, she resigned herself to the fact that she had lived a good life. She had watched friends and family grow old. Lost friends, gained new ones. Fell in and out of love. Became part of a family that would stand by her to the end. She felt peaceful, or as peaceful as she was going to get.  
She trusted Bran. She did. But he was not god. He sometimes he had to remember that he was not god, and did not have the ability to save everyone. He had a job to do, and she understood that sometimes that job took sacrifice, no matter how close you are to the job. She wanted Bran to know she didn't blame him, but knew deep down, this one would weigh on him. Yet, there was nothing that could be done.  
There was nothing he could do.

Bran stared at his family intensely. Solutions. They needed solutions. Bran looked from Anna to Charles to Sam, all of whom held frustrated faces.  
"She's not violent, though!" Sam snapped at the last comment that had been brought to their attention. Pack was calling for her head. She almost harmed a child, and that was not welcome.  
"We all know that, how do we prevent a riot if we let her free?" Anna asked, looking over to Bran with a hopeful gaze.  
"I can force her into charity work, but I doubt that many would see that as fit enough punishment,"Bran mumbled. Charles stared at him with sad eyes.  
"What about whipping her?"  
"That's archaic, Charles," Anna snapped, as Bran gained a thoughtful expression.  
"It's archaic, but it's just archaic enough that we might be able to convince the pack to allow her to live," Bran snapped, as Anna flinched back. Charles growled lightly, as Bran sighed. "I don't know what either of you want me to say. I don't know what to do."  
Silence reigned, as Bran rubbed his aching head lightly. Sleep had been missing for a couple nights, and the time to get something done was drawing closer, and closer. His eyes closed as a low growl of frustration came from his oldest son.  
"It would help if you believed in her yourself!" Sam snapped finally, as Bran's eyes popped open.  
"I believe-"  
"You believe in what you witness, and what your conniving wife says," He snapped before Bran could finish. "Your faith in Caelie? That's missing. And because your mate said that it was on purpose, and Caelie's crazy, all of a sudden everything that you ever believed in her is gone."  
Bran growled low, menacing.  
"I believe in Caelie," Sam shook his head, and sighed.  
"I'm calling Mercy. She can stay with Mercy." Sam walked out the room silently, as Anna, and Charles stared at him.  
Bran's eyes closed, as his wolf whimpered. No, things weren't going as planned.

Caelie was brought out to the field where punishments were met for the second time, drug through the grass by men who had already convicted her before Bran could. She allowed the tugging and pulling, ignoring the ache that was coming. Her wolf called out in anguish, as she fought the urge to shift.  
Every trip, every fall, and every push was met with more despair. The arrival to the land created an ache that was indescribable. People she considered family, people she loved, were once again going to banish her.  
"Caelie Jones," Bran said in a stern voice, leaving Caelie flinching. "As decided, you will be punished for your attempt to harm a child. While Anna does not see enough effects on your sanity to put you down, we are forced to take some measures," Caelie looked up, and blinked, "You are banned from this land. You are no longer part of this pack. Leave with whatever you can grab, and go."  
The bottom slipped from beneath her. A light sob was heard from somewhere, but she wasn't sure just where it was coming from. She didn't remember the the ground scraping her knees open, nor the way that Sam glared at his father as he helped her to the car with her stuff in it. Silence was met the whole drive down.


	10. A Company Always On The Run

**Chapter Ten- A company Always on the run A destiny Its the rising sun  
**

**Month One**

It took that long for Caelie to speak. Her submissive nature hit an all time low. Sam, Adam, and Mercy all fought hard to get her to where she wasn't catatonic anymore, but she didn't speak. It wasn't until her transformation that she said anything.

It was a scream.

**Month Two**

Caelie would speak one or two words to everyone. She was functioning, living with sam, and working in the shop with Mercy. She was more responsive, more willing to look someone in the eyes. She still wouldn't go near the kids, or come to pack meetings in general, but she would come to Adam's more willingly.  
Sam had forgotten her cell phone in his rush to get all her stuff together, so she never got the texts of apology from Bran. Nor would she know of the fifteen calls a week. She was blissfully ignorant of Bran's arguments with Leah, or the threats that were coming his way.

**Month Three**

To Sam's shock, Ben is the one to pull Caelie out of her hole. Ben's sarcastic comments were met with Caelie's. A smile had crossed her lips as she talked to him that first time. It would be another couple weeks before she was talking to him regularly, her sense of life slowly seeping back with every conversation that she held with him.  
Sam watched as some of the glitter, and spark came back, but never reaching the same intensity that it had with Bran. Sam knew the scars would remain, but the way it was looking, things were starting to heal. At least, on Caelie's end.  
Sam was ignoring Bran's calls. Things were shaky after the fallout that came with the decision to dismiss Caelie. Charles and Sam were finished with their father's games.  
No one knew the anguish that Bran was going through. The way his wolf rebelled constantly to get to Caelie. Nor the way him and Leah had drifted away from each other. No one knew the situation with threats had progressively gotten worse.

**Month Six**

Caelie had healed, or at least she could pretend that she had. Ben sat on her bed as she threw clothes around her room. This was becoming a common occurrence with her as she tried to once again start dating. Even though there had been some questions about it, her and Ben attempted to date, once, and nearly killed each other. Their ability to relate to each other made the possibility of anything other than friendship impossible. But they cared for each other, so it didn't matter.  
"Will you pick out an outfit already?" Ben snapped, as Caelie tossed another shirt at the bed.  
"Why don't you pick out an outfit, you asshole?" She mumbled under her breath, not realizing he had come up behind her.  
"The pink lace shirt, with the black vest, and the tight blue jeans," He stated, causing her to scream and fall into the closet.  
"You little shithead, how did you get that fucking close?" She snapped, as he snickered.  
"Well, if your ass wasn't mumbling under your breath, you would have known better," Caelie rolled her eyes, pulling down the outfit and trying it on.  
"Huh, I guess it does work," She mumbled.  
"Of course it does, love, I'm fucking brilliant."  
"That is so questionable."  
Caelie walked through the silent trailer, her mind going over the checklist of things she needed. Her pepper spray was on her, and Ben was here, so if he sensed anything wrong, he'd stop her. Sam wouldn't be home until late due to his shift, so she should be home before him. She still had another twenty minutes before he was due to arrive. She began her makeup, ignoring the cringe that came when she started. The bags under her eyes were slowly getting better, but the lack of sleep for so long was still evident in her thin form, her bags under her eyes, her inability to sleep alone. She was lost.  
The banging of the door shook her out of her displaced thoughts, as she walked out the bathroom in just enough time to catch Ben opening the door frowning.  
"Hello?" Ben said, eyebrows raised in confusion.  
"Where is she?" Caelie blinked as Leah's voice slipped into the house.  
"Ma'am, I'm not sure who you're talking about," Ben stated, his voice going cold. She walked slowly out the bathroom in enough time to see her push the door wide open. Leah's eyes caught sight of Caelie, and she flung herself at her slamming her into the Caelie's hair in hand, she dragged Caelie into the kitchen, slamming her head in to the table.  
 _Slam._ Caelie grabbed for the hands holding her.  
 _Slam._ Tears started to form her eyes as he head felt like it was going to split open.  
 _Slam._ A growl from behind Caelie told her that Ben had shifted at some point, and was fighting an unknown opponent. Gripping the table instead, as Leah brought her head up for another push, Caelie pressed back, knocking back in to Leah's face. The snap of bones could be heard, as Caelie turned in enough time to punch Leah. Leah's hands flew up to the bleeding nose, as Caelie kicked her in the stomach, tossing Leah in to the stove.  
More growls came as Leah and Caelie ran into each other, fighting for the death. So, they never saw Adam come in to the house. They never saw Darryl get in the middle of Ben and his mysterious opponent. They never saw Adam come at them. Leah met the wall, while Caelie fell back into Mercy's arms. Leah lunged again, Adam grabbing her around the waist one good time, and holding her in place.  
"What the hell?" Caelie flinched as Adam yelled profanities. Blinking, she looked around, realizing that there was wolves all over the house, growling in warning to each other.  
"I left!" Caelie screamed, causing eyes to drift towards her, "What else do you want from me you psychotic bitch? I LEFT! HE KICKED ME OUT! And I thought I was free of your heinous bitchy ass, but evidently, you just don't want to leave me the fuck alone!"  
Leah growled, "YOU! It was you! It's always been you! YOU were the one who his kids loved! You were the one who helped! You always needed help! It was your ass that almost got us killed, and what does he do, come crawling back up your ass! I'M SICK OF IT!"  
No one heard Sam enter the house, eyes wide.  
"What. Is. Going. On?" The harshness in his voice causing man to whimper. "NOW!"  
"The bitch came back!" Caelie snapped, pulling herself from Mercy's grip, "And I'm leaving!"  
"Oh, no, your not!" Leah snapped, ignoring Sam, " Get your ass back here so we can settle this."  
"Settle what? He's your's you psychotic slut! You WON!" Caelie pushed past the group, eliciting growls from several people, only to be met with Ben's growl as he walked next to her. Sam watched as she went out the door, before turning to Leah with a glare.  
"What do you want?" Sam snarled, causing Leah to flinch.  
"I want revenge. I want her dead. I want my husband to stop mourning your little bitch." Leah snapped, as Sam tensed.  
"She's gone, Leah, let it go," Sam stated, " She can't come back." Looking at Adam, he watched as Adam dragged her from the house, and into his. Sam pulled out his cell, sighing. Dialing, he put the phone to his ear.  
"Da? We have a problem."


	11. Just A Second, We're Not Broken

Chapter Eleven- Just a second we're not broken just bent

She sat outside, her arms wrapped the wolf that whimpered beside her. Her eyes closed, as she let the anger, anguish, fear, and desolation flow through her, wave after wave hitting her already damaged self. She petted the wolf, a reassurance that she would win against the devastating waves, even though the will to do so was missing.  
Silence was disturbed by the natural shifting of the world, but she never heard them. Isolation was never met as Sam watched them from the window, Mercy from the door, and Adam from Mercy's side. It didn't matter. In that moment, all that mattered was that Caelie once again pulled herself together, brought her shattered personality into a mess of shattered glass. She once again pulled whatever wasn't stolen, damaged beyond worth, and shattered in to a million pieces, and become who she was thought to be.  
A facade. That was what she had become. A facade that was hurting more than helping, pieces of herself falling apart around her. To her, she was nothing. Life, and Death had become nothing more than a dream in her view. There was nothing to really live for, but not enough will to kill herself either.  
Little mistakes made on her part. So small that it was surprising that they could snowball into that huge of an avalanche. Mistake after mistake, leaving her once again running from a place that she was just starting to call home. Family becoming nothing more than a comedy routine on a t.v. show.  
Adam was going to force her out. She knew he was. She had tried so hard to stay under the radar. She was so tired of not having a place, not having a family. She wasn't meant to be a lone wolf, but a leader, and she was willing to just follow. Nothing more than follow. Just as long as she had a place to call home. Just as long as she wasn't alone.  
A whimper escaped her mouth, as the wolf she held onto so tightly rubbed his cheek in her. She took it, letting the feel that she wasn't alone fill her being. Ignoring the little voices asking how long that was going to last, she waited. She would wait until the pain would lessen, then once again face the crowd that would be awaiting her.  
Mercy silently changed forms, trotting over to Caelie's hunched over form. She knew Adam was leaning against the door, tense, but understanding. So Mercy trotted over, yipping at Ben to move. Ben cocked his head to the side, as Mercy yipped again, nipping at his paw. Ben shifted over, startling Caelie out of her abyss, only to be tackled by something big, red, and loud. A trucker fell out of Caelies mouth as she pulled Mercy away from her, only to see a lolling tongue, and what looked like a smirk. Caelie's face was blank, as she shook her head, and smiled a soft smile. It wasn't absent of the pain, but it was a smile nonetheless. Licking her face, Mercy took off at a run for Adam, jumping into his arms.  
She needed reassurance. She needed the knowledge that Adam wasn't going to abandon her. He wasn't just going to let her go.  
She stood on her own two feet, Ben next to her, allowing her to lean on him slightly. The ability to be comforted by his presence immensely useful in this situation. She took the steps, walking toward Adam with a mixture between defeat, and strength, something that couldn't fully be explained. She walked towards him, making sure to lower her eyes in respect.  
"Adam, Alpha, I'm -" Adam raised her head and met her eyes. The recoil from the harsh flinch did not change the almost stony look on Adam's face.  
"Caelie, First, let me say that I am highly disappointed in you." Caelie's head went low, eyes on the ground. A huff from beside her warned of Ben's frustration. "I would never get rid of you. You're an asset to the pack. So please, remove from your head that I'm going to get rid of you, because that is just not true."  
Caelie glanced up to catch a slight smile on Adam's face. Ben rubbed against her leg, a purr escaping. "And would also like to say, that if you are uncomfortable tonight, you are always welcome to my house. I know Mercy considers you family, and you've grown on me, and my daughter. You're more than what you've been credit for, and we will always stand beside you. I will not let you worry that you're going to be kicked out, when that's not true."  
Arms wrapped around her, and every word told to her was tuned out. Everything that she had wanted, had craved, and needed, were finally within her reach So why did she still hurt? Why did it feel like she wasn't complete? Even in that moment, she closed her eyes, and thought of Bran.

Bran walked up to the step, eyes focused in on the dark house in front of him. The call from Sam had been a shock, and something that he hadn't fully been expecting. After being told by Leah that she was just going to see the city for a couple days, the call stating that she was here, and had once again attacked Caelie was one that he was finally going to have to punish her for. Bran could her Charles and Anna behind him, their footsteps softer than his own, but he was unwilling to hide his approach.  
Stopping in front of the door, he raised his hand for a sharp rap, only to be stopped by the door opening. Bright eyes were met with a questioning look as he was met with Mercy. Her hip cocked to the side, her other side blocking his sight in to the rest of the house did not infringe the fact that he was able to smell Caelie. Mercy's eyes narrowed, as she stood up fully to him ,and smiled.  
"Bran, we've been expecting you," She stated in a clear voice, letting him through the door slowly. She stopped Charles, and Anna long enough to hug them both, greeting them in a more gentler manner. He walked into the kitchen to be met with Adam's bigger frame, blocking the way in. He knew Caelie was in there, the smell of her more wild, more natural, and less broken than it was when she left his house. It took a lot to focus on Adam, to focus on the real reason as to why he was here. He was here to pick up his astray wife. He was here to be the man he should have been. He's here to be an alpha.  
"Adam, it's great to see you," Bran stated, watching as the man gave a move of submission.  
"It's good to see you, Bran. I'm sorry it's under the conditions that it is," Adam stated, as he smiled. Bran nodded, as Adam moved out of the doorway and down the hall. Bran followed, knowing where they were headed, but not positive of what he was going to find.  
The fights between him and Leah were fierce. Minor things had become major, her wants and needs being place above the pack in an attempt to reassure herself of her status. Bran had thought that she would get better once Caelie was gone, but in a way she had gotten worse. She was not taking her position seriously, and that was something Bran could not have. As much as he didn't want to, he was going to have to do something about it. Hell, he wasn't sure he was going to be able to do anything about it.  
Each step in to the basement was another mental torture for Bran. He knew she was down here, no matter how quiet she managed to keep herself. He knew she was biding her time, waiting for him to once again give in to the guilt that had been eating at him since he pushed Caelie away. The guilt that had been tearing him up since he banned her from the pack, removing all safety nets she may have once had. The guilt of what he was thinking, feeling, even while he was mated, married to the women caged in the basement below.  
But she had brought this on herself. If she had just left her alone... Bran shook his head as Leah came into sight. She leaned up against the wall, her eyes on him, a rage deep inside her that could not be satisfied. Bran sighed, shaking his head of the depressing thoughts that had been plaguing him.  
"Leah-"  
"Baby, we can fix this," Leah stated, smiling sweetly at him. Bran took in the smile, and felt nothing. Not remorse, no regret, no guilt over her actions. She had finally taken it to the final level. There was no way out of this.  
"Come on, Leah. We must go." Bran stated in a stern voice, as Adam let the door swing open. Leah strutted out, her head up, thinking she had evidently won. The smug look she threw at Adam's blank face gave way to the irresistible urge Bran had to punish her then and there, but it was unnecessary. There was no reason to create a spectacle.  
The climb up the stairs was silent. Leah walked behind Bran, a good thing with the way Leah was smiling like a mad hatter. It wasn't until they made it into the family room that everything changed.  
Caelie sat on the sofa, Ben next to her, and Jesse on the floor in front of them. The laughter could be heard through the room as Caelie tossed her cards to the floor, pouting. A pile of candy sat in the middle of all three of them, and the chatter coming from Jesse was met with the potty mouth of Bens, and the snickering that was Caelies. Bran stood there a second, just watching as the scene in front of him played out. Images of what could have been tore his heart apart, things that were never said whispered through his soul, as Caelie glanced up at him.  
For a moment, a whisper of joy at seeing him echoed through her eyes. A ghost of a smile fell on her face, but both quickly disappeared as she remembered. An almost instinctive reaction defeated by the memories of his mistake. Caelie nodded her head at him, before turning back to the game that she had been playing, smiling at Jesse's joke, and relaxing with Ben.  
"She's never coming back," Leah snapped. Bran blanked, never fully understanding the actions that would follow. He would come to his senses, and Leah would be on the floor, hand on her cheek, Adam's mouth hanging open, both eyes wide. A snarl would be on his lips, and his wolf would be pacing through him.  
The echo of the smack would finally him a minute later, as he realized what had just happened.


	12. Don't Tell Me Cause It Hurts

Chapter Twelve- Don't tell me cause it hurts

Leah sat on the floor, shock echoed on her face. Bran eyes were wide, a deep fury within him raging through his eyes, as Caelie ran in between the two. Recognition slowly slipped into his eyes as Caelie lifted her hand and rested on his chest. She could feel his wolf, the unease that it exuded, the anger toward Leah that could not be fully controlled. The eye contact that Bran and Caelie maintained revealed the level of power she was exuding to prevent him from losing it. Adam, and Mercy edged towards them slowly, unsure of what to do, where to go with this situation. Charles stood next to Leah, the stillness of his body revealing the danger of what would happen if she attempted to break up this moment.  
"Charles," Caelie stated in a calm voice, exuding control over the situation that she needed to have, "Take Leah out to the car, and sit with her. Anna will be out with Bran here in a second."  
Charles nodded, the urge to submit to her so great that he practically jumped at her orders. Grabbing Leah's shirt they made their way out of the house silently, leaving the others to the situation that was Caelie and Bran. Caelie cocked her head to the side, letting her wolf float to the surface, watching Bran with now golden eyes. The pain and rejection that she always felt while thinking of him, was met with the same intense feeling of love that came every time she saw him. This time it was met with a saddening truth that she could no longer deny. He was married, mated, and she would always be there in the end. Leah wasn't going anywhere. No matter what she wanted to believe, and no matter how much she wished, he was with her.  
A peace settled through her, leaving a trail of unmistakable pain that couldn't be healed. A smile crossed her face, as she softly brought her hand up to his face, caressing his face gently. Their eyes never left each other, and what once was a play for dominance quickly became a fire. A fire that had slowly been simmering underneath the surface, now so brightly hot that it was a miracle that they both didn't burn. Both of them lost their breath, the world focused on the sensations, the automatic ease that both them, and their wolves felt being near each other.  
No one around them moved. The fear that they would tear apart whatever trance, state, Caelie and Bran were in. Silence reigned in the living room, as Caelie and Bran let everything go, let this one moment be their last, their last chance to have a moment where they were the only ones that mattered.  
But no matter how much they tried to stay in the moment, live in this one moment, it lingered savagely in the back of their mind that at the end of the day Bran went back to Leah, and Caelie to the barely there existence that she had been subjected to.  
It was Warren entering the house, just a simple click of the door opening that broke their wonderful spell. Caelie quickly snatched her hand away from Bran, holding it as if she had actually burned it during that brief, brief touch. Caelie's eyes quickly lowered, her demeanor changing to one where she was no longer the strong one , not that Bran wanted to be.  
The haunted look quickly entered Bran's eyes, leaving the strong man he used to be a ghost in this shell of a body. Hands were quickly moved to the side, sparks dissipated, and the trance everyone seemed to create a wide eyed expression across everyone's face. Caelie turned, walking towards the back of the house, Ben on her heels, as Bran turned to look at Sam.  
"I'll make sure that Leah is taken care of," Bran stated, as Sam raised an eyebrow.  
"I could demand that you punish her here," Adam stated, as Bran's eyebrow raised.  
"That can only happen if you formally put her in your pack," Bran stated quietly, eyeing Adam with a distaste that was normally reserved for the scum. Adam's eyes were down, but his eyebrow came up.  
"I have formally accepted her into my pack," Adam stated, as Bran growled lightly. The gasp from behind Bran revealed a happily shocked Caelie. The smile that crossed very lightly reached her eyes, the genuity of knowing that she was no longer alone clouding over the fact that Bran was once again abandoning her again. It was evident that the thought crossed her mind, because her eyes once again dimmed, before the spark that had once been there dissipated.  
"Thank you, Alpha, I promise you won't be disappointed!" She walked over to Adam, hugging him gently, before pulling away, looking at Bran briefly.  
"Do you want me to punish her here?" Bran snapped, allowing his control over emotions to be overridden.  
"Let them go," She mumbled, standing between the two men, a play between the alpha's growing in intensity.  
"Are you sure?" Adam asked, eyes focused on Bran, as the question worked it's way over to Caelie.  
"Let them go," She stated firmly, forcing Adam to meet her eyes. Adam nodded, as Caelie turned to Bran, a coldness, a logic in her eyes that he had never seen before.  
"Please leave Bran, I think you and your wife-" the snapped word whipped across Bran's soul, "need to leave before things become more complicated."  
Bran stood there looking at her for a second, the dismissal a burn on his soul. He turned and walked out, leaving his heart back with her.

Caelie watched as he walked out, the urge to beg him to come back, or to go with him, but logic kept her from chasing him down. He would never leave Leah. There was nothing more to the two of them then an unbridled passion that would never be stoked. It was time for her to truly move on.  
"He loves you," Adam whispered, as she stood next to him, watching him go.  
"Not enough," She whispered, walking back to her seat next to Ben, who watched her closely. Noticing the stiff way she held herself, Ben shrugged, letting it go for now. He knew that he would have to talk with her about it at some point, but now was not the time for it.  
"Your turn," Ben mumbled, as Caelie nodded, allowing herself to ease back in to a comfortable routine. That would be all she would need. A routine. Something to keep her from screaming.  
A month would pass before Sam would hear from Charles. Sam would think it would be the beginning of their monthly phone calls, but it wasn't. Or, at least, that's what the note would say. The note that Caelie would find on the door to the house as she would be walking up to it. It would be the note that Ben would find a day later, after not hearing from her, the linger of her smell on the traces of the wind, but quickly dissipating.  
He dropped the note, running to Adam. The note that would cause so much trouble drifted down and softly tapped to the ground.

Caelie

I'm gone, I'll be back. Charles is missing. Anna is hysterical. Headed home to try   
to help find him. Stay there. I'll call.

Sam


	13. I'll Make My Final Stand

Chapter Thirteen- I'll make my final stand

Caelie ran, her wolf frantic to get to the source of all the problems, to the place she had run from in the first place. Fear drove her from there, and it would be fear that would drive her back. Even though Sam had told her to stay, basically reminding her that if she showed up on that land she could be killed, she didn't listen. An anger built in her, as the thought of the boy she had worked with, fought for, and watched grow up was put in immediate danger.

She wasn't far, either. She was far enough that once Adam and Mercy noticed that she was gone, they wouldn't be able to catch up, but it didn't matter. Everyone knew where she was going. It wasn't a major secret to everyone that she was headed back to the source of his disappearance. His home.

Bran sat in his chair, the desk chair, the one that always seemed to be the one that delivered horrible news. He was sitting in this chair when he found out about Charles mother. He was sitting in this chair when he found out that his youngest son had disappeared. He was sitting in this chair when he found out that Caelie was looking for him, and when he found out that Leah ran. Now, he had just found out that Caelie was on her way. Or at least, that's what he could get out the of very angry tones coming from Sam's phone conversation.

"So no one saw her leave?" Sam snapped for the third time, as the person on the other end relayed that she had left and no, no one saw, for the fourth time within this phone conversation. Sam glanced over to Bran, before looking at the bookshelf behind him. The fear, and depth of the chaos that was going on echoed through Sam's eyes.

Snapping the phone close, Sam dropped to the floor, allowing his head to hit the wall. The vacant, yet frustrated look echoed from his eyes to the limp way he held his body. Bran sighed, looking away from Sam to the window, where the wolves silently paced, monitoring for any sign of an attack, and any sign of his other son.

"She should be here within the day. There is no way that she could have been missing for nearly a day and no one thought to check up on her," Sam stated in a monotonous tone.

"If we warn the pack that she's on her way, they'll be vying to hurt her. If we don't, they'll think she's intruding and hurt her. There is no way to get her safely into the pack," Bran stated, as he stared out the window, into the sunlight that seemed so blinding, yet so dark.

"So do we pretend that we don't know she's on her way? Let her fight her battles?" Sam asked, staring right at the man.

"Caelie's a fighter. She'll make it without our help. We just got to keep an eye on it." Sam nodded, moving his eye sight out the window. Just another problem in their mess of problems.

Caelie came upon the forest, the smell of the pack lingering, but not strong. It wasn't too long ago that they were here, but not current either. No matter, it would help aid her in her attempt to get to the pack homes. She ran faster, pushing herself harder. Fatigue, hunger, became things of the past, as her pack was in danger. Someone she loved was in danger, and small things were not going to hinder her in her search. She never heard the new wolf come behind her. She never felt the eyes on her as she ran right in to pack territory.

A sharp pain on the scruff of her neck alerted her that she was no longer alone. Automatically going into defense, teeth snapped, as more and more joined the circle. It was an ambush, something that she could no longer fight. She laid on the ground, waiting, biding her time as they slowly thought they had brought the enemy down. Waiting until they had thought she was too injured to move, she attacked. She bit the first one, bringing him down, unable to move with a lack of a portion of his leg. The second lost a chunk of his front paw. The third a portion of it's belly. And on it went, before she ran. She knew it was the pack, and she wasn't going to harm them too bad, but disable them. She needed to get home. She needed to find her boy.

Bran heard the howl. Closing his eyes, he looked over to where Anna sat, a frantic look echoing in her eyes.

"She's here," Anna stated, swallowing hard, tears filling in her eyes.

"She shouldn't be." Bran looked back out the window, waiting for her to come in to his line of sight.

Slowly, howls began to go up. One by one, each wolf called out to the Pack leader that there was an intruder. One by one, each of his many wolves were taken down, defeated in Caelie's attempt to get to her family. A family that he had denied her, prevented from being here for. Now, it had come to this. His pack was trying to defend his family from Caelie, and Caelie was going to do everything in her power to be here when they found the person who was trying to harm Charles. Who had possibly already hurt his baby boy.

"Do you think she's killed any of them?" Anna asked softly, staring off into space. Bran shook his head.

"No, she's disabled though. She'll be here soon. Go get Sam, and meet her."

Caelie sped up as the house she was looking for was in sight. So many wolves had come after her. So many that she had once defended, were now lying in the woods disabled. But that meant nothing to her, to her wolf, because her boy was in trouble.

She broke the clearing, running right in to the line of sight of Bran, Anna, and Sam. Tears fell from the eyes of Anna, the need for comfort that could not be given until Charles was found. Caelie laid on her belly, paws on her nose, whimpers echoing at the vivid pain.

Bran stared at the bloody wolf. The smell of her blood, and others permeated the air, leaving a less than desirable stench in the air.

"You weren't supposed to come back, Caelie," the wolf stared at him in open defiance. The only wolf with the ability to stare at him with open defiance. "You're not welcome here."

Caelie shifter, her wolf understanding that there were things that could not be said in wolf form. Bran and the others waited as she changed, the flow painful, but a welcomed pain that she had become used to.

She stood, eyes meeting Brans. A defiance she hadn't felt in over 20 years filled her, the fight for something that she loved was welcomed. A shell that had been covering her, a hardened that had been protecting her from the dangers that came from the pack that had claimed to be hers, a mate that had abused her, cracked.

She shifted back to the woman that she had been. The woman who stood for nothing, who fought for her rights, and fought the system. Whether it was permenant was for a later discussion, but right now, she was angry. She was fed up. She was scared.

And when a wolfs scared, backed in to a corner, with no help, the snap. They snap back and they snap back hard.

"I guess you're just going to have to welcome me," Caelie stated, looking Bran right in the eye, "Becuase I'm not leaving until I know where my son is."

So... Review? Because I know someone's screaming in frustration. :D


	14. I Shoulda Lied

Chapter Fourteen- I Shoulda Lied

Caelie stood in the room, waiting for a response from the shocked Bran. This was not what he was expecting. He was expecting a little bit of her old self. He was expecting her to bend to his will, the way she was when she left the last time. There was no way he could have predicted that she would bounce back, flip back to her old self in this way. Bran stared at her cocked hip, her narrowed eyes, her huffing breath as the blood dried on her naked body.

He moistened his lips, taking in the curves, the dips that came with her. The fullness of her breast, not too big, but big enough that he could palm. Her belly smooth, tan, as it dipped into a light fuzz that was her...

"I need an answer Bran. Am I a guest of this pack until we can find the person who took Charles, or are you going to have a rogue on your lands?" Caelie's snapped question forced Bran to stop looking at her and focus on the reason she's here. Why she was standing here in the first place.

"We've got it under control, Caelie. There was no reason to come anyway," Bran stated coldly, though his wolf was hot, was active, was mad that he was once again pushing her away.

"There wasn't? Then there shouldn't be a problem with me staying the night until I can leave once again. Give me a good view on how under control you have it," Caelie's eyes narrowed, as she glanced at Anna, and Sam. "I mean, if you have everything under control then you won't need Sam here, either right?"

"Goddamn it, Caelie! Don't you understand that you're undermining my judgement!" Bran snapped, screaming at her, as she glared openly.

"Do you not understand that Charles is family to me? I am not leaving family out to rot!" Caelie screamed back, as Bran marched up to her. Lightly growling, he bared his teeth at her as she met his eyes.

The smack would echo through the house. It would be a thankful moment that no one outside of Sam and Anna was there to witness what would happen. The hand that Caelie could not pull back once it had gone across Bran's face. The red mark that would blossom on his face as he stared at her. The growl would grow louder, her back would go against the wall. Fear replaced the anger that she had felt.

Then his lips devoured hers. Heat flowed between the two, as he pinned her to the wall, but fear had run under the heat of the kiss, their bodies pressed against each other. He held nothing back, forcing her to submit to his sexual prowesses, but she didn't bow then either. She was just as rough, just as ready to force him to submit.

It seemed to last forever. The heat, the passion, and the need. It was what he had been waiting for. His wolf howled with pleasure, so loud, so joyous that he had finally gotten what he wanted, what he had craved for so long that Bran was unable to stop. Everything began to blend as it kept on.

Slowly, she went pliant, allowing him to take the lead, but not giving full control. She still had just as much say in the situation, but she allowed him to control where it went. He slowed the kiss, allowing the flames to dim, but not extinguish. Flames began to lick at them, instead off devour, and the kiss would slowly come to an end, but the need never ended. Bran looked at the flushed look her face, the way her lips swelled, and her panting breath landed on his bottom lip, and understood that this need would never disappear.

The flames that had been eating at him diminished as he realized what just happened. He stepped back, staring at the girl with her eyes closed, trying to catch her breath. She opened her eyes and took one look at the horrified look on his face before allowing the anger to spark once again.

"I'll be at the lodge, if you're looking for me. I'm headed over to Charles and Anna's after to try to see if I can sniff out who was in there. Just leave me the hell alone and I'll call Sam with what I find. There, I'm out of your fucking way," Caelie snapped, before walking out the door she had just entered through, slamming the door shut on the way out.

Bran stood in the middle of the room staring at the door. There was so much he could say, and not enough time to think through what he should have said. Things went from bad to worse as he realized that he was not the only one in the room. He glanced over at Sam first, relying on him to give him some sort of sign that things weren't as bad as they seemed, but the look of utter shock on his revealed it was so much worse.

"Well, that could have gone better," a sarcastic Anna stated, as she moved from behind Bran to lock the front door. Glancing back, she stared at the shocked men.

"Don't... Don't lock the door, Leah doesn't have her key on her," Bran stuttered through as he tried to pull himself together.

"No, We're going to have a talk and I don't want Leah here when I have it with you," Anna stated, as she sat on the sofa, staring at Bran. "Well, aren't you going to sit down?"

Bran plopped onto the sofa, putting his head in his hands, groaning.

"Bran, you've got to stop this." Anna started, " you're driving yourself up a wall with all this back and forth between Leah, and Caelie. You're fighting your wolf constantly about who needs to be in your life. If you would just trust yourself, you would be able to understand that Leah isn't who you once thought she was, that's not your fault, nor your wolfs fault. That is something you could have never predicted."

Bran nodded, though the blank look on his face showed all. He didn't understand. His wolf had chosen Leah as his mate, and he was supposed to love his mate forever right? Then why did it hurt so bad to watch Caelie walk out that door? Why does it feel like he's breaking? Why is his wolf so angry?

"Look, Alpha, listen to me," Bran stared at Anna, " the choices that have been made can't be taken back, but they can be fixed. You need to chose, and stick with that choice. It won't only be you that we'll be putting down."

Bran watched as she unlocked the front door, took Sams hand and walked to the back, where she was staying until she could find her mate. He stared at the wall, looking at nothing in particular. That would be how Leah would find him.

"Bran?" She would ask, watching as his face transformed, looked at her with recognition, before easing in to a smile.

"Yes?" He asked, a sly smile taking place. Leah stared at him a moment before, walking in to the kitchen talking about the nonsensical things that had happened while she had been out checking the town to see if Charles had run there.

Bran couldn't focus though. All he could think about was the kiss, about the way Caelie took him, let him lead without losing herself. She never let his alpha become too much.

It came as a shock to Leah when he just kissed her. It was a passionate kiss, but it wasn't what he was looking for. It wasn't like the kiss between him and Caelie. She was immediate in her response, so ready to please, so ready to let him take control. The battle wasn't there, and he felt it. He felt something break in him that he couldn't take anymore.

He pulled back, and stared at the soft smile that Leah was wearing. He couldn't hold back the frown that fluttered on his face, as he waited for her to realize that she could look at him. He held back the sigh, and let go of her.

"Caelie's here," he started, as he turned awya from her. He could feel her eyes on him as he began to pull things out of the fridge.

"What is she doing here?" Leah asked softly, the rage behind her words there.

"Charles is missing." Bran stated.

"That gives her no right to be here."

"It's her family."

"No, it's not."

"Why are you fighting?"

"I'm not. This is not her family."

"Yes, they are! They love her!" Leah's eyes narrowed on that comment.

"And do you love her?" She snapped. Bran stared at the angry woman.

"I kissed her."

"Well, I don't smell her on you, so I'm assuming you didn't fuck her." Leah snapped, bending the metal in her hand. "And it still didn't answer my question."

"I would have thought that you would have raged at me."

"Answer me."

"I mean, I did kiss another woman."

"Answer me."

"And you don't like her."

"ANSWER ME!"

"I think I do."

Silence.

Leah stomped out the room, and out the very same door that Bran had watched Caelie walk out of. Yeah, it was going to be a long night.

A/N: Did you get what you wanted?


	15. Ain't Gonna Beg You To Stay

Chapter Fifteen- Ain't Gonna Beg You To Stay

Caelie ran from Charles house to the woods, where the abnormally familiar scent had wandered. It was so faint that she could barely make it out, but it was there. It was there enough to trigger an emotion from her. Truthfully, if you weren't looking for it, you would have never known it was there. Heck, even if you were looking for it, you might not have noticed it. She ran towards the woods, ignoring the growls that came from the pack that so desperately wanted her out of their way, but was not ready to face the consequences of messing with her.

Through the woods, she trekked, allowing herself to familiarize herself with the land that was in front of her. The smell was so dim, but it was there. She sped up, following it to the edge of the forest. Allowing her body to shift, she thought over the information that she had gathered while searching for Charles. Staring at the road ahead of her, she pulled out her cell phone, and made the call.

The ringing echoed through her ear, but she paid no attention to it, her thoughts focused on what needed to be done, and the consequences of those actions. It was going to be a rough night, she knew it, and she knew she was going to be the one to start it.

Bran answered on the second ring, her eyes focused on the road that she was almost positive that they went. It was dark, and it was a shot, but it was worth the try.

"Hello?" Bran asked, after she hadn't said anything. She focused back on the phone call she was making.

"I found whose got him. It's a faint scent, but it's my old pack. I'm headed that way. You can either meet me there, or stay where you are, but I'm leaving." Bran was silent.

"Wait for me-" He started, as Caelie growled.

"Look, Bran, I'm getting off your land before I get killed, and going to get MY SON. Now, you can meet me there, or keep your ass home. Either way, I'll catch you later." She shut the phone, changed, and ran. She knew where she was going.

Bran stared at his phone, a string of cuss words sliding out off his mouth. Sam glanced back at his father, as he grabbed his jacket, and his father's. Glancing back to the room where Leah sat, Bran stopped his movements to go out to the car. He needed to tell her. She would want to know. She may not be close to Charles, but she would want to go to. She would want to help.

Bran allowed another explicitive to fall from his lips, as he snatched the jacket from Sam. Running to the back, he slammed the door open, and looked at his wife. She sat in the chair, facing the window, a thoughtful look gracing her face. Bran stared, taking in the moment. This was the woman he had fallen in love with. These were the moments that had drawn him to her.

"Caelie found him," Bran stated, his voice cracking, " We're headed to her old pack to try to a retrieval. You coming?" Leah looked at him, the strangest look on her face.

"Are you telling me that she's the reason our son was taken?" Bran paused, not knowing how to respond. It was the first time she had called him our son.

"Look, Leah, we're not going to get in to a big argument about her and how you were right or wrong. I just want to get my son back. Are. You. Coming?" Bran snapped, as Leah stood. She walked over to him, taking a glance of contemplation, before pushing past him. Evidently, she was going.

Bran breathed a sigh of relief as he jogged out to the car to meet everyone. He glanced in the backseat to notice that Sam was able to find Anna, and she was looking out the window thoughtfully. Sam sat next to him, his eyes focused toward the front, but his mind everywhere but where it should be. Leah sat next to him, her knees on the dashboard, mimicking a teenager rebeling against their parents. Bran sighed, throwing the car in to reverse, then drive, and headed in the direction that he knew Caelie's pack was in.

He shot up a prayer that he got there before she did. It was a wonder of what she would do if she got there first.

Caelie ran. She pushed her body, only stopping long enough to catch a squirrel, and keep going. It was hard to do, but she was doing it. She wouldn't be at full strength when facing them, but she would have her wits, and she had what they wanted the most. Revenge. Now, she only hoped they would take her bait long enough for her to get Charles out of there. She would see as she got closer to the house.

Bran sped, but something told him that she was closer. His wolf waited, almost docile, but ready. It was ready to attack at any moment, and it was evident that the wolf was going to do what it needed to do to protect it's own. He glance down at his tank, and held back the many explicitives that had been falling from his lips all night. He was going to have to stop and get gas, or they were going to be stranded.

He went to the next exit, and found a cheap gas station, jumping out and pumping as quickly as the ancient machine would let him. Anxiety started, his breathing quickening, and his wolf pacing. Something told him that she was there. Some deep part of him told him that she had made it to the place in about a day, and that she was getting ready to fight. Either fight, or do something totally stupid. It was probably the latter.

He jumped in the car, stalling only when he saw the Anna was looking at him. A grimace crossed her face. He started the car, praying that he didn't wake the others.

"He knows she's there." Anna stated quietly. Bran shook his head.

"She can't be there, Anna."

"She's there, Bran, and Charles knows it," Anna snapped, as she looked back out the window, " She's not going to wait for us. He'll probably get out, but what are her chances, Bran? She hasn't gotten past what they've done to her. What are the chances she'll come out?"

Bran frowned. There should be none, but there was no telling with her. There was no telling with his rebellious angel.

Caelie ran into the warehouse that she knew they would be holding him. It was where they used to hold her hostage when she ran. The dilapidated building used to be a car manufacturing plant before they were forced to close. It was then turned into a drug house, and then busted. It had been abandoned since. Though it looked like a piece of shit old plant, she knew that it was well maintained by the pack. They didn't want it to fall down on their, or their captives heads, before they could get any worth out of them.

She strolled up to the building, her body sleek, her movements smooth, though the weariness she felt went to her bones. She was tired, exhausted from the run. She was lucky she was still moving after that run. But she kept moving. She could smell Charles. He was so close. So nearby. She knew he could smell her, as he was in his wolf form, half crazed. She heard him stop wrestling, and silence met her ears.

There were two guards down the hall, the new pack master was near, and two in front of Charles cage in wolf form. Caelie ran, getting a running start on the back of the wolf that was closest to the door of the cage.

She was thrown in to the wall, dizzines hitting her, along with fatigue. She jumped up.

It began.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen- And if the sun comes up, without me tomorrow, You'll be fine**

_Charles ran as hard as he could._ He ran through the alleys, past unidentifiable streets, places that he had never been. He had to find help. She had gotten him out of there, and he had to help her. Images of her broken bloody body flashed across his sight, leaving a sour taste in his mouth. He wasn't going to leave her. He didn't want to leave her. He was forced to leave. He once again cursed her alpha abilities, one's that she used against him to force him to leave. Even as the taste of death lingered in the room, so close, so familiar to her own. God damn that woman and her hero complex, whispered through his mind as he pushed himself, searching from some sign as to where his mate was.

Jumping in the middle of the street probably wasn't the best idea in the world, especially with the SUV headed towards him. He dodged out of the way of the oncoming car, watching as it swerved and stopped. He began to run, but the pressure that built in his mind told him that his mate was near. She had been there, in the back of his pack mind making sure he was alright, even if she couldn't find him.

He went to run past the car that he had stopped to make sure was alright, only to see Bran jump out of the car. Running toward him, Bran met Charles in the middle, watching as he shifted to human form. Charles concentration prevented him from seeing Leah, or Sam from getting out the car, but he was fully human when Anna got out the car. Opening his mouth to say something to his father, he watched as she clambered out of the car, and slowly walked towards him. His focus no longer on his father, he went over to his mate, and held her. He let the fear he felt, the torment, the questioning of whether he would ever see her again flow through his system and out of his body. In that moment he was whole, and everything would be fine, if not for just a second. He sighed as he pulled away from her, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist, as he turned and looked at his father.

Bran's face was tight, the unmistakable happiness at the sight of his son hidden beneath the panicked look in his eyes at Caelie's missing form. Charles watched his father's eyes flicker back to the car for a moment before landing back on Charles. Sadness welled up in Charles as the revelation of what he had to tell his father was going to backlash. He just didn't know how.

"Where is she?" Sam asked quietly, as the saddened look crossed Charles face.

"They have her," Charles mumbled, as the look on Bran's face darkened, "If she is even alive." Bran's eyes darkened as he went to get in the car, only to be stopped by Leah's hand on his arm. The look in her eyes left Bran speechless, as she shook her head.

"We can't leave her," Sam stated, as Leah glance over at him with a growl.

" We can. You heard Charles, there is no guarantee that she's alive," Leah snapped, looking over at Bran, "Look, we have Charles. He's alive." Bran looked at charles. Anna tensed as she glared at the two.

"She's the reason we even have Charles," Anna snapped, as Charles pulled her closer.

"She is not pack. We cannot waste time nor energy to retrieve her. We need to get back and pull the pack back together before someone tries to cause an uprising. Then not only will we have a dead woman on our hands, but their is a possibility you will lose respect in your pack. We're chasing after a freaking convict," Leah growled, as Bran's eyes closed.

"Look, we have to go after her. I told her I'd be back. I can't leave her," Charles stated, his voice cracking on the last word. Leah looked at him, her cold eyes, calculating.

"She's not worth the risk," Leah stated, " and we need to reassure that pack." Bran's eyes glanced between the two, a lost look leaving the ones who looked up at him lost. "Bran, you are an alpha first."

Bran looked at Charles, the bruised and battered body that had ran into the street to get somewhere safe. Anna looked worn, tired, the nights that he had been missing weighing heavily on her body and soul. Sam's tense form. His own body tensing at the knowledge that he knew that even with the small group that he had that there was no way that he would be able to save her. Not with the worn down people that he had with him. Not with the knowledge that Leah would do everything to prevent it. He closed his eyes, holding back the tears that he knew would fall if given the chance.

"Let's go home." Sam started to protest, as Charles broken form jerked.

"What the hell?" Charles snapped, as Bran cut a look at him. His wolf backed down, acknowledging the alpha in front of him.

"I will not put you at risk once more. Now, everyone get in the car, and we will talk about what we can do once everything is settled," The lie slid off his tongue so easily, so slick that for a moment he almost believed it. Deep down, he knew there was no going back to save her. There would be nothing to save.

He watched as they all clambered in the car. He stood there, waiting, staring at the ground once he knew they were in the car.

"I'm sorry, Caelie. I'm so sorry." He muttered, as he climbed into the car himself, turning it around, and heading home.

_It had been at least a week,_ and the knowledge that he had left Caelie alive in the hands of her original captors began to drive him into a frenzy. He contacted as many people as he could, attempting to get a confirmation that she was alright, there is something to rescue, but the efforts became useless. There was nothing.

He stood in his room, staring out the window, his mind racing as he tried to think of someway to find out if she just might be alive. She just might be out there, but there was nothing. He had no contacts in the pack, and no reason to just attack the pack. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. It was becoming all too much for the alpha.

The doorbell ringing dragged him from the room he seemed to never leave. Slowly, he clambered to the door, cursing the fact that Leah wasn't home to answer it instead. It wasn't until the smell of blood drifted to his nose that he began to panic, running to the door. Throwing it open, the smell of blood, and death floated around a package sitting in front of his door. Frowning, he carefully opened the package, leaving it outside the door. The scream that would echo through the village would alert Sam and Charles, revealing them to horrifying sight, and the horrible message that sat on top of it.

A simple ear laid in the box. With one earring, a wolf earring. A very similar looking one that Charles had gotten a special wolf in his family a long time ago, and on top of the ear was a note.

_Revenge has been served. The Bitch is dead._


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen- No greater gift has man,Then to lay down his life for love**

**One Week Later**

Bran stood next to Sam, both still forms bore any of the emotions that rocketed through their bodies. It was a beautifully sunny day, though in Bran's mind it might as well have been raining. No amount of sun could lighten the dark portion of his heart that would no longer be filled. A portion that had died the moment he saw the note, knew deep inside that he had lost her. That his rebel would no longer be there to cause trouble, to love his sons, to love him.

There was no stopping the tear that leaked down onto his face, falling onto the empty casket that rested in front of him. She was gone, and there was no coming back this time. There would be no snide comments, no witty jokes, no pranks to fill the day. He watched as Adam and Charles lowered the casket into the ground, the tears flowing freely from their eyes.

All Bran wanted to do was to curl up into his bed and will the day away, but he wasn't even home. Another tear slipped down. He couldn't bury her on pack lands. She wasn't pack, and it would be a problem within the pack. At least, that's what Leah constantly reminded him. So, after many phone calls, and much bad news, he was able to get her buried in the pack that had accepted her when his wouldn't.

Bran's eyes glanced over to Ben, who sat on the ground, watching it slowly be lowered to the ground. The desolate look echoed through his eyes, down his body, and reverberated in to his demeanor. The hand that rested on the back of his neck, the shaggy hair that fell into his eyes, his bent over form, cried out to the empty casket that she needed to come back. She needed to be here to ease some of the pain, the guilt that echoed through the Bran.

He closed his eyes, turned his head to the brightly shining sun, and let the tears fall down his cheek. The rain wasn't even there to wipe his tears away.

**One Month Later**

Bran walked down his hall, the growl under his breath. Tension thrummed through his body, anger coursing through like hot lava in his system. His hands rippled in his fist, his eyes glowing amber as the wolf came to the forefront of his mind, the pacing within his own body evident.

"Don't you walk away from me like that!" Leah screamed from behind him, even as he stopped moving, never turning to look at her.

"Who gave you the right?" He growled under his breath as he stopped.

"You did, when we got married, when we mated. You gave me the right to do as I see fit to save our relationship." Bran whipped around, the wolf more prominent than ever.

"I did not-"

"It's just clothes, Bran. She's gone. She's dead, and there is no coming back from the from the dead. She will never be here again to pick up the damn clothes, and we don't have room to be housing her shit just because you feel guilty. Get the fuck over it!" Bran bared his teeth, unable to control the wolf any longer. His sense of self dissipating under the onslaught of disobedience.

"I told you to leave her stuff alone!" Bran growled, the feel of his wolf using his human side to portray the anger that he felt. "It is not your place to decide when her stuff leaves my home-"

"This is my home too," Leah snapped, " and as much as you hate it, she's not your mate. Stop mourning as if she was. I am your mate, and I am alive. Remember that."

Bran watched as she stomped off, the clothes that she had tried to throw out laying on the floor in the living within sight. He stared at them, a deep emptiness that didn't seem to diminish laying on the floor with them. He closed his eyes, and walked away from them.

Tomorrow was a new day.

**Three Months Later**

He stood in front of the priest, his hand in Leah's, the words the man said going in one of his ears, and out the other. Why he agreed to this, he had no idea, but here he was once again stating his vows to the woman he was with. He loved her. That's what he kept telling himself. He loved her. He wanted to be with her. He would be with her for the rest of their lives. They were so much more than husband and wife. They were mates. They were destined to be together.

He turned and faced Leah. He smiled down at her, a smile that never reached his eyes, but it didn't matter to her. He was here, and he was doing as she wished. He was putting her above the woman had died for his son. He was taking the woman who he loved, and showed her that he still loved her. Even if they fought more than they made love. Even as he closed his eyes, and pretended that it was Caelie, a secret that Leah would never know.

As they kissed, he held back the tears that threatened to escape. This wasn't what he wanted.

**Six Months Later**

Charles walked into the house, taking in the disastrous living room. His eyes widened in shock as he walked through, the blood, and fur flung through the hall that lead to the bedroom. The sounds of growls echoed more clearly where he was headed. Where he knew the fighting was occurring. This is not what he had expected when they told him that there were issues going on with his father and his mate.

Standing in front of the door, he lightly pushed in open to reveal his fathers wolf standing on top of leah's wolf. Growling into her face, her neck bare to him in submission. Charles stared in disbelief. He walked calmly over to his father, making sure as to not disturb him from his evident pack punishment. He sat on the bed, and waited.

It wasn't long before Bran clambered off of Leah, walking over to the bed that Charles sat on. Jumping on to the bed, he sniffed at Bran for a second before whimpering and laying down beside him. Charles petted Bran's whimpering wolf form, watching as Leah slowly changed back to human form. She sat on the floor, tears streaming from her face.

"What caused this?" Charles asked calmly, as to keep his father from once again going on the defensive. He watched as Leah started to snap again before putting his hand up, " I advise that you keep your anger to a minimum as I don't know how well he would respond to your anger once again. What caused this?"

"I tried to get rid of her stuff." For as calm as she sounded, the snap of her tone told Charles all he needed to know.

"Dang it, Leah, you know better. He's not fully healed from her loss-"

"He needs to be. There is no reason why he shouldn't be."

"Yeah, well, he's not. Stop trying to show your dominance and all this wouldn't happen," Charles glance down at his sleeping father, "Give him time."

Leah snorted, before walking off. Charles closed his eyes and shook his head. Peace would not come soon enough.

**Two Months Later**

Bran walked back in the house, a smile setting on his face. He was home early from a pack check in California, and everything had gone as planned. He dropped his bag in his room, humming to himself as he wandered quietly into the kitchen, ready to surprise Leah that he was home. After that last fight, everything seemed to settle a little. The pain that he was feeling dissipated as time went on, and the urge to join her was no longer in the back of his mind. He could look back on his life without wanting to tear something out the moment that he thought about it.

He leaned on the wall, the entrance to the kitchen, listening to Leah as she bustled around, and talked on the phone. Her tone was brisk, and authoritative as she washed dishes, putting them up with a banging noise.

"What do you mean she escaped?" She went silent for a moment. Bran paused, waiting for her response. "All you had to do was keep her somewhere where no one knew to find her. Sell her to the sex trade, and get her the fuck out of my life. How hard is it to get rid of her?" Bran's frown deepened.

"Find her. I want her found. I want that bitch out of the way. Caelie is dangerous, and after getting her into the fucking place, I can't believe you lost her. How hard is it you idiot?" Bran froze, his heart skipping a beat. "She can't make it here. Kill her if you have to, but I cannot have that bitch back here."

"I'll get you what you want. I know you want some influence in the pack, and I understand that you need it. So do me my favor, and I'll do your's. Not a moment before. Get it done." Bran turned and headed back in to his room.

He needed to plan.


	18. Ignorance is Kind

**Chapter Eighteen- Ignorance is kind**

Bran sat in the living room, twirling the cup of vodka that he had in his hand. His eyes were focused on the fireplace in front of him, his mind wandering over the information that he had just recieved. He wanted to believe that Leah wouldn't go so far as to have his son kidnapped to try to get rid of Caelie, but the way she talked on the phone said otherwise. That was his mate, and his mate had plotted against, and almost harmed one of his kids. Bran closed his eyes, tears wantin to spill, but the reality of the situation almost taking him over the edge.

Caelie is alive. Caelie is alive and on the run. She had no one to trust, nowhere to go, and no idea if he was in on the deception that had caused her to be imprisoned for months on end. A tear slipped down his cheek, as his hands tightened around the cup. What had they done to her? Her finger was in the box that they had sent him, which meant that they had cut limbs off her. She wasn't whole anymore due to it. What else had those bastards done in the name of of the love of his life?

The silence told more of his sob story, allowing him to mourn a reality that was awaiting him. As alpha of the pack, he was expected to do something, to fix this injustice that had been put on another wolf unduly. But, as was reminded to him so many times, this was his mate. This was the woman he was supposed to be with for the rest of his life... and she had just committed a crime that was normally sentenced to expulsion, or death. To put another wolf through the possible pain that she had gone through was inexcusable. He closed his eyes, taking in the deep stab of regret that he felt as he thought it over.

And dear god, what about Caelie? She was left in that hostile enviroment with the knowledge that someone will be there to save her, and no one was. She was left alone, forced to fight for herself, even after she had saved his son. She knew Bran was on his way to get his son, had freed his son so that he could get somewhere safe to heal, and thought that Bran was on his way. He wasn't on his way.

The door softly opened, the click revealing to him that someone entered. The smell of his mate, a happy and content smell drifted over to him, flaring his anger over the situation. He sat, waiting to strike when the time was right. He knew what he was going to do. It was only a matter of time before he did it.

* * *

Charles sat on the edge of his bed, his mind circling around Caelie once more. It was a subject that never left his mind, and haunted his dreams almost every night. It had taken everything in him to follow the orders that his alpha had declared once he had gotten home. If he had just convinced them to go after her. He sighed, rubbing his face. If only he had listened to his gut, they wouldn't have had to bury an empty box.

He felt arms wrap around him, and some of his thoughts turned towards to the woman holding him. Some of the pain eased, but the guilt never diminished. He leaned in to her embrace, feeling her lips rest on his head. She knew the pain could be overwhelming, his thoughts taking over the dark side for a little while, but she was always there to pull him back, allowed him that reprieve that he so desperately needed.

Just as they were getting comfortable, the door to his house began to shake with the wieght of the knocks that jumped up, running to the door as it got more insistent, more desperate. Charles opened the door just in time to see his fathers wolf tackle Leah's human form. A whimper of distress occured as she tried to shimmy away from them, and in to the protection that she believed the house could give her.

Charles moved out of the way just in time for Leah to jump up, running in the the house as she escaped Bran's clutches. Bran stalked calmly toward where she was, not running, nor chasing, a sign that this was more than a play thing. He was ready to kill if he had to. Charles followed the two, watching as Bran sat in front of the shut (and locked) bathroom that Charles was almost positive that Leah resided in.

He felt Anna's eyes on him, a questioning look no doubt, aimed his way. He watched silently, as his father sat there, eyes aimed at the door. It was a minute before the silent sobs reached his ears, but not long. He stood there, waiting for some type of explanation, but only received a stubborn mutt, and a crying bitch. He sighed.

"Is there a reason you two have taken over my home?" Charles finally asked, as Bran looked away from the door and up at him. Charles shook his head in frustration, " Answer?"

Bran sighed, before rolling his big doggy eyes. He turned sitting his back against the door, and began the long painful transformation. Charles waited, letting the man of have his moment of peace before Charles once began the interogation.

Bran sat in front of Charles, a light shining in his eyes that he hadn't seen since Caelie died. Charles waited as Bran gave him an evil smile.

"I'm just trying to get answers out of her," Bran said simply, as he looked at the door behind him, "She has information that i want and need."

" That does not excuse the fact that your mate is in my bathroom crying," Charles stated, a hint of sarcasm resting in his voice.

"Just a minor issue that will be cleared up soon," Bran's smile grew.

"It's not a minor issue, what the hell is going on?"

"She was a bad girl."

"What is this some freaky kinky game y'all are playing?"

"I wouldn't call it kinky as much as punishment." Charles blinked at the statement.

"What is she being punished for?" Bran's face hardened, and he sat there, staring at Charles a moment, the battle raging in his eyes. Charles watched as he went over everything, the positive and negative of possibly telling him what he was going to tell him, and it was evident that he finally came to a decision as the smile he had came back.

"Caelie's not dead," He said in a sarcastically happy tone.

"That's great..." Charles brain went in to overmode as the implications began to click.

"There's no way that Leah could have had me kidnapped in order to get Caelie back for all the crap that they went through. No way." Bran's grim face told him everything he needed to know.

Charles turned, walking to the bedroom. He heard Leah calling out for him to stop, and tell her what was going on, but was unable to control the rage long enough to respond. He picked up a couple towels, walking back to the bathroom door, where Bran stood off to the side. Charles looked over at his father, nodding once before kicking the door in, and grabbing the flighty woman inside.

Charles tossed Leah to Bran, her fighting doing nothing against the two wolves that were handling her. Charles walked in to the kitchen, knowing that Bran was following him with Leah in his arms. He watched as Bran threw Leah on to the table, holding her down, a questioning look on Bran's face when Charles got a big cup of water.

He pulled out a knife, sitting in front of the held down Leah, as he waited for his brain to catch up to the situation.

"Now, all I want is information on what really happened, Leah. That's all. Just tell me what happened and I won't do the things they did to Caelie to you."

"I didn't have anything to do with your kidnapping."

"If that's true then how did you come in to leagues with the people who would hold Caelie captive?"

"They left a note. I hid the note. I didn't want to get your hopes up!" She screamed towards the end as Charles edged the knife closer to her body.

"I don't think I believe you." Charles stated.

"No, really, I had nothing to do with you kidnapping."

"Then how did you get ahold of the people who took Caelie?"

"I just told you!"

The knife was poised at the first finger, as Charles began to put pressure on it. Leah's screams began to echo around the room as Charles made the move to hold good on his threat.

The sound of a cell phone going off, stopped the process. Charles stopped, listening as he realized it was Anna's phone. Proceeding with what he was doing, he was shocked to see his mate run in the room, slamming the door open, and shakily handing him the phone. Charles frowned, taking the phone.

"Hello?" He stated, as Anna got a glazed look over her face.

"How's my favorite?" The husky voice that he thought he would never hear echoed through his ear.

"Caelie?"

"Yeah, buddy, it's me. Think I gave Anna a shock when I told her I needed to speak to you." Tears flowed freely, as he tried to control his voice.

"Yeah, she's not looking too right."

"I tried calling your number, but some things off with it. I don't know. Anyway, can you come pick me up? I'd drive to you, but I can't. I don't have a car, nor do I have clothes, and I think if I shift to wolf again the cops are going to shoot me." Charles nodded, forgetting that Caelie can't see him.

"Yeah, where are you?"

"About twenty minutes from the town, on the side of the road. Is that ok?"

"Not a problem, I'm on my way."

"Alright, don't tell bran, it's a surprise. Well, sort of. We have issues to settle out." Charles looked right at his father, and Leah, his lips pursed. "No, he wont know."

"Good, see ya!"

Charles shut the phone, closing his eyes, and breathing. She was fine. She was fine. She was almost home.

"Alpha, I request that you take this piece of shit and put her in the basement. I will deal with her when I get back. Also, could you pretend that you never heard that conversation? That would be most convenient."

Charles walked out the room, Anna behind him, and made his way to the car.


	19. When you Come Back To Me Again

**Chapter Nineteen-** **When you come back to me again**

Charles slowed down towards where Caelie had hinted that she would be at. He couldn't calm the bouncing knee that Anna's hand rested on. The death grip that echoed through his leg reminded him that she was just as excited as he was. He focused on the road, as she glanced out the windows, intently. It was a silent night down this stretch of highway, the visibility of his wayward companion clear to the right.

She was thin, thinner than she had been when she left. Her hair flopped next to where her ear had originally been. Her eyes narrowed on the truck, a sparkle in them that reminded him that she was still with them. He came to a slow stop, pulling over by the side of the road, only feet from the woman that he was sent for. His limbs felt heavy, his eyes blurring, as he buckled himself, and slowly got out the car.

For as slowly as he got out the car, it seemed like time sped up in that moment. The time between getting out the car, and holding her close was a blur. The soothing words she whispered ease a portion of his soul, allowing him to breath a little easier. It was several minutes before he could compose himself well enough to let go, and step back. Caelie smiled sheepishly at Anna, mouth open, when she had an armful once again.

"Well, you two, it seemed you missed me," She stated, a weary smile resting on her face. Charles stared a moment, his sight slowly blurring, shakes chattering his teeth. The lightest of kisses landed on his head, causing everything to get worst.

The tears slid down his face, and was slowly wiped away. The soothing gesture was one that had been repeated many times over his childhood, and would become one that he would come to rely on as he grew older. When it was gone, and there was nothing to soothe him he felt the pain of loss build. With nowhere to let that pain out, he was left with an empty hole, something that he had no ability to seal over, and something that Anna could only soothe, but never heal.

"Hey, it's ok. I made it out. Alright?" She stated, though the haunting in her eyes told him of the things that she was not saying. She might have escaped, but she was barely escaping. She glance over at the car, before them over.

"Come on, lets get out of here before someone sees me naked!" Caelie laughed, as they climbed into the car for a silent ride home.

* * *

Bran sat in Charles kitchen, staring at Leah. It had been silent since the couple had left, a deafening silence that was beginning to drive him mad. He watched as she twitched, refusing to meet his eyes as his wolf was already at the surface; trying to escape the confines that he had erected.

"I never meant to hurt you." She muttered, as he cocked his head to the side, " I just wanted you back. I wanted what we had back. I was willing to do anything to prevent her from taking you away from me. I thought I was making the right decision.

"Reality about the situation is that I was wrong. We weren't making it. We weren't surviving without her. She was still on your mind, always on your mind. And there was nothing I could do. I couldn't prevent her from being there, from being on your mind. But I love you. I love you so much. It hurts to think of you with her. It burns to the core of me that you love her more than you love me. And i know you love her more than me. It's evident in the way you look at her, the way your willing to do so much for her. It's in the way that you fight for her. You always fight for her.

"When you thought she was happy, you were content in letting her be herself, but she's not anymore, and your chance is finally here. Your eyes are finally open, and I don't want them be. I want you blind. How do I make you blind? Even when I tried to make her out to be the bad guy, you believed in her, made sure she was safe. Your family loves her. Mercy loves her. Fuck, your cold ass sone fucking wants to be around her.

"If you could get the fucking pack to get passed what I set up, they would probably love her. I never had that. I can't understand why we never worked, but it's evident that we're not working because she will always be first. She will always matter before i do, and I can't live with that. I refuse to live with that."

Bran looked at her with an intense stare, taking in the panted breaths that came with the rant that she had gone on. She was broken, and he knew she had broke herself. If she had just gave in to the reality that she had her spot, then she wouldn't have drove them apart, but her insecurities drove them to this point.

"Leah, I love you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have made you my wife. You brought us here." Bran shook his head.

"It doesn't matter now. She's on her way home."


	20. What if I Was Good To You, What if you Were good To Me

**Chapter Twenty-** **What if I was good to you, what if you were good to me**

It had been a couple days. Caelie had come home, and hadn't wanted to see him. She waited until she knew was the last possible second to see him, but she knew that it had come to a close. She had to see him. She had to take that time and see that he was still alright. Charles had made a comment about him every chance that he could. Reminded her that Bran wanted to see her, had stuff to say to her, but she didn't know what to say back. What could she possibly say to that man?

There were no words to explain the emotions that flowed through her. There was no way to explain the way she wanted him to hold her, to reassure her, to remind her that she was alright. She couldn't just walk out the current situation without something to remind her why he had taken the time to punish Leah as he had. And he had.

Anna was had been very enthusiastic in her re-telling of happened to Leah. She expressed much joy in explaining that she was parol, that she wasn't allowed to leave the house unless it had to do with work, and she was not allowed to have visitors. That this would continue until Leah apologized to you, but seeing as Leah was being stubborn on this point, it wasn't going to happen any time soon. She explained that their relationship was on the rocks, that Leah had threatened to leave, that Bran was tired of the games.

Caelie didn't allow her heart to have the hope that there was a possiblity that they might get together, or that those two would leave each other, but it was a funny thought in her head. Leah's desperation leading to the one thing that she wanted.

"Caelie?" She heard Charles say through the door. She lifted her head and looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "We need to talk."

Caelie sat up in her bed, and watched as Charles came in and sat at the edge of the bed. Nothing was said for a couple minutes, as a hand laid on her knee softly.

"Do you love him?" Caelie started at the question.

"Why?" She snapped quickly, as the defenses she had built over so many years went back in to place. The look that he gave her, quickly made her regret her response. " If i did, Charles? What does it change?"

"Everything!"

"Nothing! It changes nothing! He loves her! He would do anything to protect- her!" Caelie snapped, " And I will sit on the backburner, without him, as I have since I met him!"

"Caelie-"

"Don't 'Caelie' me! I'm tired of everyone assuming that because I love him that changes something. They are mates, they are meant to be! It is a bond never broken, a love that can't be torn down! He will always care for he above all else, will listen to her above all, will trust her above all! I am not it!" Panting, Caelie looked at the wall behind him.

"I can't beat that, Charles. I can't."

Charles stared at her, "That is where you are wrong. Everything is wrong. Two songs with different intents can only sing so long before they begin to lose their melody, their harmony. But sometimes they dont want to see that. They want to ignore that.. They want everything, but what's right in front of them. And when that happens, it tears them apart. Especially when the equal melody begins to play in their face. When one of them finds who they were supposed to be with the whole time. When the other falls in love with that person that they feel they shouldn't." Charles watched as Caelie squirmed. "You can not allow this to tear you to apart any longer. The longer you fight over the insanities that come with them being together, the longer you allow her to prevent you from the path that you are supposed to be on, the harder it will be when fate finally does gets it way."

"That's just your native mysticism coming out, Charles. There is no such thing as fate." Caelie snapped, twisting her hands agitatedly in her lap.

"This has nothing to do with mysticism, it has everything to do with the fact that your wolves are calling for each other, howling in ways that is driving the rest of us crazy, and their stubborn human forms refuse to do anything about it."

"Wolve's only mate once!"

"She wasn't his mate!" Charles voice echoed through the room, leaving a distant shock on Caelie's face. "They married. They worked together. He gave her the position that a wolve's mate should hold, but they never truly mated. His wolf was interested, yes, he allowed his human to be with the woman that he thought was his heart. Reality was that she was nothing to him. She was not his life, and I cannot watch you two walk away from each other. I can't."

"Charles-"

"NO! After everything you told me, you can not be defending his actions, your inactions. You can't be deciding not to fight for him and allowing him to tear you apart." Caelie was silent, the panting boy staring right back. "At least see him. Hear what he has to say about the situation. Please."

Caelie nodded.

Caelie sat at the table, her burning hands wrapped around the coffee mug that she had just filled with tea. She still hadn't figured out why she had agreed to do this. Why she agreed to put herself through this torture that never ended. Charles sat across from her, her eyes lingering the small smile that graced his lips. It was only a week ago that those very same lips were tearing every excuse, every lie, and every defense that she had apart, leaving nothing but the broken mess that had allowed herself to hide behind the mask. She didn't want to be this way. She didn't want to feel like she had no control over anything that was happening. That's why she was an alpha, why she had never lived in a pack.

Adrenaline raced through her veins as she thought about what was getting ready to happen. It had been a little over a week since she last heard from Bran. From the reminder of what had happened, what will happen and what might happen that lingered in the back of her mind. Mistakes of the past floated through her mind, leaving her belligerent, tired, and a little more than weary.

"How are you feeling?" Charles echoed through her mind as she began to focus on the task at hand.

"Like I don't want to answer that question," She snapped, looking him in the eyes, before lowering them and apologizing. She felt his eyes on her for a moment, her eyes lowered enough that she couldn't see what he was sigh echoed through her soul. The touch brought a shock rippling down her spine. The gentle pat on the head soothed.

The knock on the door disrupted the peaceful moment, drawing them back to what the task at hand was. Charles looked at the door with a smile.

Round one was on.


	21. Hold Me Tight And Don't Let Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I just want to make a note:
> 
> This was written a long time ago, and I have gotten better at writing sex scenes. It will most likely be updated, but I want to get everything crossed over before I start. Please ignore the inability to write sex. 
> 
> Thank you!!
> 
> ~ You're favorite Glowing Shadow

**hapter Twenty-One- Hold me tight and don't let go**

Bran walked in the house, his mouth set in a grim line. He had been waiting for this moment, needed this moment. He knew that it was only a matter of time before she would talk to him again. She never could resist when he called, but this was different. Everything was different.

His family was torn in two, between his wife, who his would no longer acknowledge, and his family, who had taken his mate and hid her from him. He could no more deny that he loved her as he could say that the strain on his relationship with Leah had not been caused by it. But that didn't say what Caelie wanted. Did she still want him around after finding out that he was the reason she was left behind? Would she forgive him for his stupidity in the moment? The attempts to salvage what little bit of a relationship he could with Leah, while he abandoned her in her time of need?

Charles eyes pierced his soul as he slinked through the door, and stood in front of the protective wolf. His wolf acknowledged the warning, acknowledged that while he was alpha, it would not stop this wolf from attacking, killing him if he harmed the women in the room next door. He soflty whimpered as her smell surrounded him, so close to him that the wolf wanted to break free.

"She's in the kitchen." Charles stated soflty, as he walked to the back of the house, leaving Bran to his devices. Turning towards the kitchen, Bran straightened his shoulders, removed the remourseful look on his face, bucked up, and walked into the kitchen.

She was sitting with her back towards him, head kneeled over the hot cup that she had evidently been drinking. Her hair fell lifelessly down her back, her back arched, softly breathing with deep breaths.

"What do you want, Bran?" She asked quietly, after several minutes of him taking in the woman before him.

"I'm sorry." He uttered, his body tightening.

Angry eyes flashed at him, taking in the mangled sorry form that he held in the moment. Caelie looked at his eyes, taking the sorrow, the angry wolf in the background being used to cover the fear that he would be rejected.

"What are you sorry for? Me getting hurt?" He flinched. One.

"Kicking me out the pack?" Flinch. Two.

"Not defending me?" Flinch. Three.

"Leaving me with those god forsaken bastards?" Flinch. Four.

"For not leaving Leah?" Flinch. Five.

"For loving me?" Silence. He stared at her, his eyes boring into hers as she took in the implications. " So you love me."

Bran nodded, staring at her with sad eyes.

"Does she know?" He nodded, as Caelie raised an eyebrow.

"What do you plan to do about it?" Bran looked at her, a fiereness in his eyes that hadn't been there the whole time he had been to see her. Before she knew it, her chair was whipped around, forcing her to face him. He pinned her arms to the arms of the chair, and held her there, as his breath whispered across her face.

"I plan on loving you. I plan on making you forgive me. I'm going to make you forgive me, and then I'm going to treat you like you should have. I'm going to drive you wild. I'm going to drive you so crazy that you'll have no choice, but to mate with me, and love me. I'm going to divorce Leah, and you're going to be my right hand. I'm going to be your everything by the time I get done. I'll be the only one who will be equal, above, and next to you. Same as you'll be for me. I want you to love me." Caelie stared at him, her body relaxed, her eyes calm, revealing nothing.

"I already love you," She muttered, as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Bran gasped, releasing his hold on her, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck.

She stood, pressing closer to him, taking in the warmth of his body, the gasps that he uttered when she removed her lips from his, and nipped his ear.

Bran groaned as she moved lower nibbling his collar, hands grasping his shirt, tugging, begging for it to come off. He pushed her hands away, using one hand to tug the shirt over his head. Before he could take another breath, her lips lingered over his nipples, her panting echoing over him, causing him to shiver, leaving his breath stuck in his chest.

" Caelie," He groaned, as she moved lower...

**(AN: AHEM! If you don't want the dirty stuff, Skip!)**

She roughly tugged the button through the hole, impatience taking over. She pulled everything down in one pull, smiling as her prize lept at the sight of her. She gently petted, rubbing, stroking, leaving him a gasping mess. Her new toy begged for more, siliently pleading, leaking, as she finally gave her lollipop a lick.

Bran groaned, as he watched, felt, her beautiful lips wrap around his hard aching cock, as if it was a sucker and she had to get to the bottom of the lollipop. She sucked, swirled, suckled, licked, and swallowed. She took him to the back of her throat, them left him hanging. She looked up at him with those devilish eyes that always begged for more.

His hand gently carressed her hair, using it to beg, to pull closer, and farther away. She sucked, even as he begged her, pleaded her to stop as the tingling shot down his spine and through his balls, a warning that their play was soon going to end.

Caelie smiled up at him as he arched his back, cum shooting in to her mouth, swallowing load by load as he shivered above her. He was so lost in the pleasure to notice the way her fingers brought her to her own release not seconds after she swallowed everything he had to give her.

**(A/N: Alright, back to SANITY)**

She stood on shaky legs, tugging him behind her as they landed on the sofa, wrapping themselves around each other. Neither saw the shocked look on Charles face, nor the smirking face of Anna, as she petted his arms. She secretly knew the therapy lessons of seeing his father, and someone who he considered a mother would be expensive, but well worth it, if the satisfied looks on the two's face was an consolation.

They watched as the two drifted to sleep, heading back to their room to get their own couple of hours of sleep.

CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB~CB

Charles was shocked awake by the sounds of fighting, growls, and the whimpering of an injured wolf. Jumping out of bed, he ran towards the living room, knowing where the sounds were coming from, but unwilling to believe that in less than a couple of hours the cute couple would be up and fighting.

Leah's scent lingered close by, as he stepped in to the living room to see Caelie holding a baseball bat, glaring at the wolf in front of her. Leah's wolf form stared her down, as Bran's wolf laid on the sofa lightly whimpering. Charles watched as Caelie's eyes briefy changed colors before she swung the bat once again.

Leah lunged.

The bat met her ribs with a loud thud, one that was echoed when she slammed in to the wall. Charles eyes glossed over as he watched the second-in-command slide down the wall and lay on the floor. Caelie stared at the still figure before dropping the bat and running over to where Bran laid.

Rubbing his fur, she mumbled nothingness to him, petting him as he healed himself of the attack that had occurred. Charles walked over to Leah checking to make sure she was breathing, alive, that Caelie hadn't killed her in her attempt to provide justice, to defend.

He was not prepared for the growl she would emit, nor the way she would quickly jump up. He didn't have his defenses up she brought her claws up and slashed aimlessly in his direction...


	22. I'd Settle for A  Slowdown

**Chapter Twenty-Two- I'd settle for a slowdown**

Blood splattered across the wall, nails dug deep into furred skin, as Charles eyes finally cleared enough to see that he wasn't hit. More claws emerged, growling ensued, blood sprayed, as Charles turned to see that Caelie was no longer with Bran, but Anna was. Another growl brought Charles eyes to the mess that was being created. Caelie held Leah down by the throat, her wolf mouth wrapped around the wriggling creature beneath her. The gold eyes glittered with the promise of death, but flashed with the sympathy that was no longer Caelie's wolf.

It was silent for several minutes, Anna's quiet murmurs to Bran as she checked over his wounds the only thing breaking the silence. Leah's eyes bore into Caelie's even as Caelie held her down, pinned her with her gaze. Finally, with a shuttered sigh, Leah went limp, eyes down in Caelie's mouth. Caelie let go, teeth bare, backing away with her eyes constantly on the enemy in front of her.

After a second, Caelie sat back on her haunches, eyes never leaving Leah for a second, even as she began to change. Charles watched the interaction, a weary look on his face as Leah waited until Caelie was partly shifted before shifting herself. Silence overtook everything, no one wanting to break the moment of calm between the two opponents. As Caelie came to full human, Charles blinked. She glowed, her hair flowed down her back falling in a river of black. She seemed stronger, sturdy, the woman she used to be. Her eyes glittered with the changes that flowed between wolf and human, but never in battle. Always in cohesion, a reminder of her power that her human and wolf could be bound together, yet her eyes never left the woman in front of her.

It was so different than the woman in front of her, bowed by her wounds, the wounds that Caelie had just inflicted. Leah's head was lowered, her eyes even lower. Hands clasped over a wound on her arm, she was defeated. She was not the alpha in this situation, would never be the alpha in this situation. Her hair hung in her face, the slight rocking of her body from the pain that she was enduring from Caelie's bite, from harming, defying the woman in front of her.

It was seconds, the scene lasted only seconds before Leah lifted her gaze to meet Caelie's. The defiance proved that Caelie had not broken her, was not going for broke, but was trying to prove a point. Leah didn't get the hint.

"I will not bow to some whore scum who thinks she can come in and take everything from me," Leah snarled, as Caelie bared her teeth, so in the moment that she would have never realized that her teeth were not the wolves, but her own. "I will not bow. I am the alpha in this pack, and you are a danger to everything we ever built."

The slow walk over to Leah echoed more power than any fast attack could have. The air of confidence around the woman who hours ago would have flinched from any touch brought more power to Charle's mind than anything another Alpha could have done. The slight bend at her hips to meet Leah eye to eye, the smirk that graced her lips, the wolf like shadow that seemed to follow her struck fear, yet reassured him.

"I am not alpha of your pack. I am not apart of this pack. I am a refuge until further notice, but do not be confused, Leah. I am stronger, faster, deadlier than you ever will be. I am just below, if not equal to your alpha. I am a woman who has been beaten, broken, and left for dead. I have been tortured in ways you can not imagine. I am not, nor will I ever been sane. I've lived too long, seen too many things to be sane. I, also, am a woman with nothing to lose, nothing to gain. I am, and always will be your worst nightmare. I am a woman with nothing to lose, and a reason to fight. I am Caelie Jones of no pack, with no loyalties other than to the people in this room. If you ever try to harm them again, try to push your role in to my face, harm anyone I consider family, I will kill you," The words whispered so softly, Charles strained his ears to hear them, "I will kill you, and I will get great pleasure from it. It won't be in a ring. It won't be a battle. It'll be while you're sleeping your pretty little alpha head in the soft bed that belongs to you, and they will find you, in that position with you fucking throat ripped out, bleeding over that pretty blanket that you bought not days ago. Test me, Leah. Give me the most joy in this situation, and try this little stunt again."

Caelie pulled back, a simple smile on her face, as she patted Leah's face, even as she flinched. Standing straight again, Caelie turned to Charles, her eyes seeming cold, but beneath the layer was the worry as she gave him a once over. Transferring over to Bran, the layer shattered, worry and guilt shading over what had shattered in her.

Bran laid on the sofa, in wolf form, gnawing on the steak that Anna had grabbed to give him energy to change back. Caelie's eyes never wandered from him, even as the emotions went through so quickly, changing so much. The slight way she shifted her body told that she had finally settled, a decision in her mind. She kneeled on the floor, checking with her eyes that someone, Anna, had her eyes on the bitch on the other side of the room, before lightly petting the man in front of her.

She leaned over, whispering softly in his ears. A private message between the two that left Bran shaking his head in wolf form. Caelie smiled gently, before looking at him. The longing in her eyes told Charles everything that he needed to know. A decision had been made in her mind. She was not going to change it.

She was not going to be alpha bitch.

She was not going to stay with him.

She was not going to let what is be.

She was not going to allow him to love her.

Nor was she going to let herself love him.

Charles watched as Caelie took one last pat, standing as silently, walking to the room in the back of the house. The whimpering from Bran bringing unwanted tears from Charles as he watched the alpha in front of him crumble. Movement from the corner of his eye shifted his gaze to Leah, who was standing, walking, moving toward her husband with a look of triumph in her eyes. She had won.

She leaned forward to stroke his head, to comfort him, only to get a snapped at. Pulling her hand away quickly, she stared at Bran with wide eyes, broken eyes, as she realized he was dismissing her. Standing on his own four legs, he walked over to the open front door, and left, a silence echoing the room.

Leah stood there a moment before blinking turning and following. Anna met Charles eyes. She glanced at the door that held Caelie, before looking at the door that Bran and Leah had just left out of.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Anna snapped, before sighing and flopping on to the sofa. Charles shook his head. This was only the beginning.

**Caelie** sat at the table with Anna and Charles, watching as another piece of cookie dough went flying by his head. The all-out war that started several minutes before began because Caelie threw a piece at Charles, allowing him to think it was his mate that started it. Charles then threw a piece at her, and they had never figure out that it was Caelie that started it.

The feeling of normalcy filled Caelie as she allowed everything to play out. It had taken a week before she would leave the house after everything went down with Bran, and Leah, but after much persuasion, and a drag to the mall from Anna with a threat to call Mercy, she dragged herself out. Now, several weeks later, she had seen Bran three times, each time they spoke politely, never saying much to each other.

After many arguments, and debates with Charles, messages delivered between the alpha, and the refugee that lived on his land, the decision to allow her to live with Anna and Charles was taken out of her hands. She was ordered to stay with them until her captors were jailed, and needless to say, they still hadn't been found.

Caelie watched, a smile gracing her face as the fight went on.

This is what life is about.


End file.
